Chelsea supporters would have been delighted when they saw Moises Caicedo tee up Joao Pedro for the Blues’ winner against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
That move won Enzo Maresca’s side the game and helped them to climb up the Premier League table.
Pedro thanked Caicedo for his assist after the match, but had Liam Delap not got sent off away at Wolverhampton Wanderers during the week, it could have been him in the Brazilian’s position.
Ultimately, in contrast to Chelsea fans, the suspended Delap may have felt slightly annoyed when that Pedro goal went in, knowing that it could have been him converting the chance.
Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Moises Caicedo after Chelsea goal
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Liam Delap under even more pressure after Joao Pedro’s winner for Chelsea
It was a goal that did not do Delap any favours. The striker already owed Chelsea a big performance in their upcoming Champions League game against Qarabag following his red card at Molineux.
Pedro’s winner has now heaped even more pressure on him to deliver as the 22-year-old looks to prove that he should be starting ahead of his teammate.
After his exploits at the Club World Cup, Pedro quickly became Chelsea’s first-choice striker.
Having scored a very important goal against the Blues’ fierce London rivals, it is likely that the former Brighton & Hove Albion man has cemented his place in Maresca’s starting XI even further.
It is why Delap needs a goal himself on Wednesday; otherwise, there is probably little chance of him being named in Chelsea’s first XI for their next Premier League fixture.
Alan Shearer was not too impressed with Delap after his sending off in the Carabao Cup, but he now has a chance to redeem himself and take some of the pressure off him.
Enzo Maresca after Liam Delap is sent off during Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images
Liam Delap red card exposed major weakness in game
Delap’s dismissal in the Wolves match resulted in some very interesting comments from Maresca.
According to the Italian, who knows the forward well after working with him at Manchester City, he plays for “himself” at times.
As Maresca discussed Delap’s sending off, he said: “Yes, after the yellow card I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch probably he’ll be playing the game for himself and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.”
Clearly, then, the former Ipswich Town man has areas of his game to work on.