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Liam Delap ends the Chelsea No 9 curse in under an hour

The curse is over. Chelsea have their number nine, wearing the number nine, looking like a number nine, playing like a number nine. There should be no more concerns over that shirt harming careers as happened from Fernando Torres to Alvaro Morata. Liam Delap is the real deal.

It may have only been against the minnows of Esperance de Tunis – a team ranked nine places below Luton Town by the statisticians at Opta to give it some context – but Delap delivered a classic, positive, bustling, aggressive centre-forward’s performance in the 59 minute he was out there.

It was less than an hour for a reason. Delap was substituted for Marc Guiu which made sense since the game was won and Nicolas Jackson’s ban, for being sent off in the defeat against Flamengo, has been extended to two games, meaning he misses the last-16 tie against Benfica.

Jackson will have a job displacing him and Chelsea already look a far more cohesive threat with Delap leading the line.

It is Benfica, rather than Bayern Munich, in Charlotte on Saturday after the Portuguese side surprisingly won their group with Chelsea finishing as runner-up in theirs behind Flamengo.

If Chelsea win that then it is another Brazilian club, either Palmeiras or Botafogo in the quarter-final. Suddenly a path to go deep into this competition has opened up for them.

And how Chelsea will need Delap who also, successfully, walked the tightrope of avoiding a booking – and therefore a second caution – and a one-game suspension of his own.

Dangerous heat forces dogs to wear crocs

After Delap went off and – frankly for large parts of the game when he was on – the pace was incredibly slow. Welcome to the Club World Cup of walking football.

That is not to criticise the players. It was remarkable that they could even function at all in the dangerously hot and humid conditions with sniffer dogs having to wear crocs to prevent their paws being burnt and an enormous fan – a machine not a supporter - placed next to the Chelsea dug-out to blow in cold air.

Sniffer dogs

Sniffer dogs had to wear crocs to protect their paws in searing heat during Club World Cup - Jason Burt

Chelsea Club World Cup

Large fans were used to combat the heat during Chelsea’s victory over ES Tunis - Jason Burt

There were no fewer than four drinks breaks and the temperature at the 9pm kick-off was a stunning 35 degrees Celsius – and therefore at least 40 degrees Celsius out on the pitch. With the final of the two official ‘Powerade drinks breaks’ after 80 minutes – cue dance music being blasted out – the sprinklers came back on with some players standing underneath them to try and cool off.

Delap contribution more impressive with team-mates rested

By then the game was won and it was Delap who forced the issue with Enzo Fernandez collecting two assists. Indeed that link-up, with Delap running the channels, down the left looks incredibly promising – just as it does with Cole Palmer on the right. Delap had provided for Fernandez on his debut.

Palmer, who Delap played with at City from the age of 15, did not feature here. Like Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto and Marc Cucurella he was rested and winning so comfortably while not needing to use them was a boost for Enzo Maresca as he juggles his squad in these testing conditions.

That made Delap’s contribution all the more impressive – just like his goal. In first-half injury time Tosin Adarabioyo headed in Fernandez’s free-kick and then, still in the first-half, the Chelsea captain slid a pass through to Delap, who turned sharply, using his strength before cutting inside and simply passing the ball into the net.

Delap appears to be Chelsea’s best centre-forward since Diego Costa – who wore number 19 – and has a lot more finesse out on the pitch.

OK, the Esperance goalkeeper Yassine Meriah was not up to much as was witnessed by the third goal as he was unable to prevent substitute Tyrique George beating him from 20 yards, with the ball spinning up off his hand. But Delap’s finish was wonderfully composed and boded well for the future.

“Against Flamengo, he had three clear chances to score goals so that is already a good feeling because that means already he is there,” Maresca said.

“Unfortunately he didn’t score against Flamengo and tonight he scored. We know that Liam is going to score goals with us. We don’t have any doubt about that.”

And neither, it seems, does Delap himself. The way he is progressing Delap may well be back in the United States next year as part of England’s World Cup squad, having decided to join up with Chelsea rather than play for the Under-21s as they defend their European Championship title.

It was the 22-year-old’s third appearance for Chelsea, all at this tournament, since his £30 million move from Ipswich Town. There was the promising cameo and assist against Los Angeles FC, the chances he was involved with against Flamengo. And now this.

“We expect the process to be quite quick with Liam and the reason why is because we know him and he knows us in the way we want to play…then it is also because he is a very good player,” Maresca said, having been Delap’s coach for the Under-23s at Manchester City when he scored 24 goals in one season. It is a total he should look to break at Chelsea. Delap certainly appears capable of doing that.

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