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At least one Chelsea striker made a strong comeback over the weekend.
However, Blues fans will need to be patient as their frustrations with Liam Delap continue to grow.
Chelsea star Liam Delap has faced challenges since returning from injuryCredit: EPA
Some Chelsea fans are eager to see Strasbourg star Emanuel Emegha join the teamCredit: AFP via Getty Images
Delap, 22, struggled against Wolves in his first Premier League match since sustaining a hamstring injury in August.
In contrast, Emegha, also 22, scored twice for his sister club upon returning from a similar injury, raising his tally to four goals in just five Ligue 1 appearances.
The Dutchman is keen on the move, which was agreed for an undisclosed fee in September.
Currently, there are no plans to expedite the transfer, despite Chelsea's need for a dependable center-forward.
Some Blues supporters are already growing restless with Delap and believe Emegha would be a better fit.
Joao Pedro is back on the scoring sheet with two goals in his last two Premier League matches, but the Brazilian prefers to play in the No. 10 role.
Spanish teenager Marc Guiu, who was recalled from loan at Sunderland due to Delap’s injury, has shown glimpses of his potential as a forward.
However, Delap, a £30 million summer acquisition from Ipswich, was expected to be the cornerstone of Chelsea's revamped attack.
His unfortunate injury against Fulham was a significant setback and explains much of his struggle to regain form and fitness.
Yet, the former Manchester City academy player complicated matters with an unnecessary sending off in the Carabao Cup victory over Wolves last month.
His underwhelming performance against Wolves was further highlighted when his replacement, Estevao Willian, immediately assisted Pedro for the second goal, while makeshift center-forward Pedro Neto added the third.
Could Emegha perform better?
Comparisons between him and Delap should be approached with caution.
Premier League history is filled with strikers who excelled in foreign leagues but failed to make an impact in England.
What is clear is that Strasbourg captain Emegha possesses significantly more experience in top-flight football than Delap, despite being only five days older.
Besides being the sixth-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 last season with 14 goals, and netting eight for Strasbourg in 2022/23, he has also scored in the top divisions in Austria and the Netherlands, with Sturm Graz and Sparta Rotterdam, respectively.
Comparison of Per-90-Minute Stats
Delap made only two substitute appearances for City in the Premier League before moving to promoted Ipswich in the summer of 2024 for his first genuine season of top-flight action.
He made an impression by scoring 12 times for a struggling side.
However, that hamstring injury has limited him to just six appearances and only three starts.
Given the small sample size, it’s more appropriate to compare Delap with Emegha based on their per-90-minute stats, and there isn’t much separating them.
Emegha receives more significant chances, but Delap has a better conversion rate than the Dutchman.
So far, Delap has outperformed his expected goals in Premier League football, while Emegha has scored fewer than predicted throughout his entire top-flight career.
Negative Fan Reaction
However, Emegha's form this season is undeniably superior. He averages a goal every 60.2 minutes in Ligue 1, albeit across only five appearances.
Delap has yet to score for Chelsea.
Most would agree that the Englishman deserves more time to demonstrate that he can build on last season and become the main player for the Blues.
Even if the executives at BlueCo – the company that owns both Chelsea and Strasbourg – are tempted to expedite the Emegha transfer, they would certainly need to consider fan sentiment.
Some Strasbourg supporters, already unhappy about becoming a feeder club for Chelsea, were outraged when the Emegha deal was announced.
Fans booed as the injured star and captain was presented with a player of the month award.
Some displayed a banner that read: “Emegha, BlueCo’s pawn, after switching jerseys, give back your armband.”
If Chelsea were to bring Emegha to London in January, it could alienate other factions of the Strasbourg fanbase who appreciate how the Dutchman’s goals are helping their team compete for a Champions League
