Chelsea claimed a vital 2-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime thanks to strikes from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, but Blues fans weren't happy about the performance.
Enzo Maresca opted for a starting lineup that saw an attack of Neto, Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and it was a disappointing showing from the quartet as the west London outfit struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the game.
But while they picked up a crucial three points following the international break, fans were quick to pick out two stars in particular who are underperforming, and it's clear now that Maresca needs to start without them for the huge Champions League clash against Barcelona in midweek.
Chelsea Must Drop Liam Delap and Joao Pedro vs Barcelona
Joao Pedro Liam Delap Chelsea
The summer transfer window saw a lot of Chelsea fans excited by their new strike force, with Joao Pedro arriving from Brighton in a £60m deal, while Liam Delap signed from Ipswich for around £30m.
While both players enjoyed strong Club World Cup campaigns after their transfers, the new Premier League season has seen both struggle, and that culminated in disappointing performances during the win over Burnley.
According to Sofascore, both players really struggled with Pedro picking up a 6.4 rating in his 76 minutes on the pitch, while Delap earned a 6.2 rating in his 67 minutes. Delap didn't manage a single shot on target in the game, while he completed just eight passes during his time on the field.
Brazilian Pedro, who was starting in his preferred number ten role, also managed no shots on target, while he completed just 75% of his passes in the game and lost possession a staggering 17 times.
pedro_delap
Fans took to social media to vent their frustration at the pair too, with one fan labelling them as an 'extremely painful watch' despite the fact Chelsea claimed all three points.
Another fan said the duo were 'not at the races today', while one fan even went as far as to dub the pair as 'idiots', describing them as 'relegation level players' and calling their performance 'inexcusable'.
It was suggested by another Chelsea fan that the two can't play together as they were making the same runs, while it was also claimed that the club made a mistake in allowing Nicolas Jackson to leave the club to bring them in, with the Senegalese star 'quite literally better' than them.
Pedro and Delap, who earn a combined £280,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge, will be expecting to play against Barcelona in midweek, especially considering Cole Palmer has been ruled out after breaking his toe in a freak accident at home, but with performances like that, they simply don't deserve it.
Alejandro Garnacho and Estevao were both unused substitutes in the game, suggesting Maresca may be saving them for the tie, while Marc Guiu came off the bench to get an assist for Enzo Fernandez with some excellent striker play. Any two of those three would be welcome additions to the side if they are playing at their current level.
It's clear that Pedro and Delap don't deserve to play against Barcelona, and it's down to the manager to make the big decision to leave them out if the Blues want to secure a vital victory.
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