Chelsea Wins, but Striker Crisis Remains a Headache for Maresca!

Footem.in – Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory against Fulham at Stamford Bridge, temporarily positioning them at the top of the Premier League table for the 2025/26 season. However, the match also highlighted several challenges and opportunities for coach Enzo Maresca’s team.

Joao Pedro Continues Impressive Performance

Joao Pedro has proven to be a key signing this summer. The Brazilian striker opened the scoring with a header from Enzo Fernandez’s corner, boosting his record to five goals in five competitive appearances.

Pedro, who maintained a disciplined training regime during his holiday in Rio de Janeiro, has become essential for the team, especially with Cole Palmer sidelined due to injury. His confidence and sharpness are crucial for Chelsea, and there are high hopes for him as Brazil faces Chile at Maracana.

Set-Piece Becomes a Key Weapon

Chelsea displayed their strength from set-pieces once again. After a dominant 5-1 win over West Ham last week, where set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva played a significant role, the Blues capitalized on crucial set-piece situations in this match.

Pedro’s goal came from a corner kick, while Enzo Fernandez extended the lead with a penalty in the second half. Fernandez consistently showcased his precise corner delivery throughout the game.

This underlines that set-pieces are becoming a reliable strategy for Chelsea as they aim for consistent victories, similar to their North London rivals targeting the league title.

Striker Crisis a Major Concern for Chelsea

Despite the victory, Chelsea faces a harsh reality with Liam Delap’s injury. The young striker was taken off after just 15 minutes due to a hamstring issue, leaving Joao Pedro and Tyrique George to lead the attack.

The situation worsens as Nicolas Jackson has been loaned to Bayern Munich, and Christopher Nkunku has moved to AC Milan. With Delap potentially out for up to eight weeks, Chelsea’s striking options are limited to Joao Pedro.

George, not a natural striker, might serve as an emergency solution. However, Maresca and the club’s management need to consider a wise approach: retaining him or seeking new talent.

This scenario echoes a situation from January when Jackson and Marc Guiu were injured right on the day Joao Felix transferred to Milan — raising questions about whether this is mere bad luck or indicative of poor planning.