Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's return is vital for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo 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 questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
