Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."