In a gritty away clash at Turf Moor, Chelsea scraped past relegation battlers Burnley to catapult themselves into second place in the Premier League—thanks in no small part to Manchester City’s stunning slip-up against Newcastle United. With Arsenal looming large at Stamford Bridge next week, Enzo Maresca’s Blues suddenly have a golden opportunity to ignite a proper title inferno. But let’s be real: this wasn’t vintage Chelsea. Far from it. With star man Cole Palmer still sidelined by injury, the performance was labored, uninspired, and at times downright frustrating. Yet, in the cutthroat world of top-flight football, three points are the ultimate currency—and Chelsea banked them all the same.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez rose to the occasion, slotting home the goals that sealed the deal. These two have been Chelsea’s unsung heroes in Palmer’s absence, consistently stepping into the breach with clutch contributions. But amid the celebrations, one name keeps cropping up for all the wrong reasons: Liam Delap. The young striker, snapped up for a hefty £30 million in the summer, is under the microscope—and not in a good way.
Delap’s drought is impossible to ignore. Just one solitary goal in 13 appearances? And that came against ES Tunis in the Club World Cup, hardly the stuff of Premier League legend. Sure, injuries have played their part, but excuses only stretch so far. Fans and pundits alike are starting to wonder if the pressure is cracking the 20-year-old’s resolve, leading to decisions that scream “me first” rather than team glory.
Enter Michael Owen, the ex-England striker turned sharp-tongued analyst, who didn’t hold back in slamming Delap’s “selfish” antics during the Burnley showdown. As reported by Metro, Owen zeroed in on a pivotal moment where Delap opted for a speculative long-range blast instead of teeing up Neto for a golden one-on-one. “I do think in this situation he needs to be a little bit more unselfish,” Owen fumed on Premier League Productions. “He probably could have passed it a couple of times. If he plays this ball in [to Pedro Neto] and makes a run to take the defender away, he will leave Neto with a one-on-one in this area. I think he’s got to do that instead of being a bit selfish and thinking he’s going to score a goal on his own. He takes a pot-shot from 25 yards and it’s not great.”
Ouch. And that wasn’t a one-off brain fade. Later in the second half, Delap burst through on a promising run but ignored a screaming Enzo Fernandez, who was primed for a clear sight at goal with a simple square ball. Instead? Another selfish choice that fizzled out harmlessly. It’s moments like these that turn potential match-winners into team liabilities. Is Delap too tunnel-visioned on breaking his duck, or just blind to the bigger picture? Either way, it’s costing Chelsea dearly in a season where every edge counts.
Look, no one’s writing Delap off just yet. The kid’s got raw talent, and goals could start flowing once the monkey’s off his back. But right now, his “it’s all about him” vibe is raising eyebrows—and tempers. Chelsea aren’t exactly shopping for strikers in January, but if they stay in the title hunt through the festive frenzy without fading, Maresca might have no choice but to rethink that stance. After all, you don’t conquer the Premier League with a forward who’s more ghost than goal machine. One in 13? That’s not a stat—it’s a warning sign. Time for Delap to wise up, or risk being shipped out. The Blues’ title dreams depend on it.