Chelsea’s rough weekend continued with a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Sunderland, leaving fans frustrated and pundits questioning what’s going wrong. Despite fielding a strong team that included Reece James, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez, Enzo Maresca’s side looked flat and uninspired for much of the match.
While Cole Palmer’s absence has certainly hurt the team, his goals and creativity have been sorely missed, former Arsenal player Paul Merson believes there’s another key man Chelsea are missing even more right now: Liam Delap.
Delap has been out since the third game of the season with a hamstring injury, and Merson thinks his absence has left Chelsea without a true target man. In Delap’s place, Joao Pedro has been leading the line, but the Brazilian seems far more effective when playing slightly deeper rather than as an out-and-out striker.
Merson pointed out that Marc Guiu, who started up front against Sunderland, barely got involved. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “They need Delap back badly. They need a focal point. Guiu played up front and I think he touched the ball nine, 10 times. You can’t do that in a team that’s supposed to be dominating the ball.”
It’s a fair point, Chelsea have struggled to create and finish chances without a natural striker who can hold up play and link with the midfield. The team’s attack has looked disconnected, and without Delap’s presence, they’ve lacked someone to make defenders uncomfortable and occupy the back line.
But there is a silver lining. Maresca confirmed last week that Delap has returned to training and is expected to feature soon, possibly in the upcoming Carabao Cup clash against Wolves.
If Delap can come back sharp and fit, Chelsea might finally get the cutting edge they’ve been missing, and with it, a much-needed boost to turn their season around.
