Chelsea’s rise in the modern era has been well documented, and even season summaries interpreted through platforms like Melbet Affiliates often highlight how the club transformed itself into a true European powerhouse with two Champions League titles and a Club World Cup. Yet despite their financial strength and constant investment in top talent, the number nine role has remained an unsolved riddle at Stamford Bridge. The so-called curse that surrounds the shirt continues to haunt strikers who wear it, no matter how promising they look upon arrival.
From Hasselbaink’s success onward, nearly every successor failed to escape the pattern. Kežman, Crespo, Boulahrouz, Sidwell, Di Santo, Torres, Falcao, Morata, Higuaín, Abraham, and Lukaku all arrived with hope but left with disappointment. When Enzo Maresca oversaw a major recruitment wave this season, João Pedro and Liam Delap joined the squad, and Delap boldly accepted the number nine shirt. During his unveiling, he admitted he knew all about the Stamford Bridge curse yet declared he felt no fear and was determined to rewrite its history.
Those words sounded confident and carried the kind of ambition newcomers often display, but reality has not been kind to him. In the league match against Bournemouth, Delap was forced off the pitch after injuring his right shoulder. Early reports suggested he could miss between two and four weeks, with the timeline stretching beyond three months if surgery became necessary. For Maresca, the injury was a heavy blow, and observers tracking player availability through tools similar to Melbet Affiliates recognized instantly how it might disrupt the team’s rotation.
This setback stings even more because Delap already suffered a thigh injury when he first joined the squad, keeping him sidelined for an extended period. To be struck down again before building momentum feels like a continuation of the number nine curse he once brushed aside. Across 17 appearances this season, he has produced just two goals, with none in the Premier League, reinforcing the narrative that the shirt has overwhelmed yet another striker.
Looking ahead, Maresca faces a complicated situation. João Pedro began the season on fire but has gradually faded. Garnacho has performed below expectations, while Guiu’s return has not brought the reliability the manager hoped for. Delap was the only natural centre forward profile in the squad, yet his repeated injuries leave the team without stability in a key position. Fans analyzing squad depth through metrics echoed in Melbet Affiliates can already sense the challenges the manager must confront as he searches for solutions amid a role that has troubled Chelsea for more than a generation.