Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a side facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
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 engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
