EPL: Owen Slams Chelsea's Delap for 'Selfish' Play – "He Should Have Passed!"

Table of Contents

1. Michael Owen's Comments
2. Chelsea's Victory
3. Liam Delap's Performance

Former Premier League star Michael Owen has labeled Chelsea striker Liam Delap as selfish following the Blues' 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday.

He also characterized the England international's performance in the match as a 'mixed bag', suggesting that the player needs to improve.

Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez secured Chelsea's 2-0 win at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Delap, meanwhile, led Chelsea's attack from the beginning before being substituted for Malo Gusto in the 67th minute.

At 22 years old, Delap, who joined from Ipswich Town for £30 million this summer, is still searching for his first goal with the Blues.

“It was a mixed bag, in my opinion,” Owen told Premier League Productions when asked about Delap’s first-half performance.

“I really like this young player; I believe he has a lot to offer. However, I think he is still a bit raw and can improve.”

“In this situation, he needs to be a bit more unselfish; he probably should have passed the ball a couple of times,” Owen commented regarding a moment when the striker opted to shoot rather than pass to Neto.

“If he had played the ball to [Pedro Neto] and made a run to draw the defender away, he would have left Neto in a one-on-one situation.”

“I think he needs to focus on that instead of being selfish and believing he can score on his own. He took a shot from 25 yards, which wasn't great.”

This victory over Burnley propelled the Blues to second place in the Premier League, six points behind Arsenal, who will face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby on Sunday.