Delap Returns as The Blues Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a side facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
