Liam Delap had to wait for his Chelsea debut on Monday night and, when he finally got on the pitch in Atlanta, the striker looked like a player with a point to prove.
Within minutes of coming on, Delap showed his physicality, clattering into LAFC defender Aaron Long. It was one of two fouls he committed during his 26-minute cameo. Moises Caicedo and Tosin Adarabioyo, who played the full game, were the only Chelsea players to manage more.
Delap has always been happy to throw his weight around and that was one of the most striking things about his debut.
Last season, Chelsea’s attack often lacked a focal point, but the 22-year-old provides exactly that.
Delap’s former boss at Ipswich, Kieran McKenna, has previously described his physical presence as the “super strength” of his game - and it is easy to see why.
“Liam’s physical presence and his strength back-to-goal, his love of physical contact with defenders, is actually one of his outstanding strengths,” McKenna said this year.
“He has definitely evolved his game and he is still growing, so his body has developed over the last 12 months and that has changed the focus a bit in terms of what he is capable of doing and how he can hurt the opposition.”
It's always healthy to have competition. It's football and it's an incredible club, so it's going to be hard, but you've got to thrive off competition
Standing at 6ft 1in, Delap’s physical power is not hard to miss, however his pace is another weapon in his arsenal.
During his loan spell at Hull in the 2022-23 season, he often played out on the right wing, demonstrating his ability to drive at defenders with the ball.
His running power is clear and last season in the Premier League, Delap carried the ball over 3,000 yards - the third most of any player in the Ipswich squad.
To put that into context, Nicolas Jackson - Chelsea’s main striker last season - registered 2,163 yards over the same period.
Delap’s pace was on show on Monday night. Shortly after coming on, he burst past an opposition defender and his cut-back was nearly turned home by Enzo Fernandez.
Minutes later, Delap again showed his speed by peeling out right into a wide channel. This time, instead of taking his man on, the 22-year-old picked out Fernandez with a perfectly weighted cross to make it 2-0 to Chelsea.
On both occasions, it was Palmer that found Delap after he made runs in behind and the playmaker could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the striker joining Chelsea.
The pair played together during their time at Manchester City’s academy and they seem to already be on the same wavelength.
Palmer spoke after the Europa Conference League final last month about how he was “sick of getting the ball and going backwards and sideways”, before seizing the initiative and inspiring Chelsea to a 4-1 win over Real Betis.
On the evidence of Monday night, Delap will help satisfy Palmer’s desire to play forward with his happiness at being a willing runner both with and without the ball.
Maresca has said how last season Chelsea needed “different weapons” in attack, and Delap gives them another one.
The 22-year-old is very different to Jackson, but both players showed on Monday how they can be effective in their own right
The Senegal international linked the play well, creating a good chance for Noni Madueke early on and assisting Pedro Neto for his goal.
With his slight frame, Jackson is pretty much the polar opposite to Delap - but that feels like a good thing for Chelsea.
It can make their attacking options more varied and provide Maresca with the option to markedly change how they play.
It is also not too hard to imagine a world where Delap and Jackson play together, especially if Chelsea are chasing a game.
Delap’s physical presence and desire to run should nicely complement Jackson’s ability to nit the attack together.
Maresca was quick to praise both strikers after the win, with the stage now set for an intriguing battle between the two.
Delap may have grabbed the headlines with an assist on his debut, but Jackson’s performance also showed why he is still a key figure in Chelsea’s attack.
The battle for the starting spot will be fierce, but it is a welcome headache for Maresca.
