Chelsea: Liam Delap rubbishes No9 curse after opening Blues account at Club World Cup

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Evening Standard

·25 de junio de 2025

Chelsea: Liam Delap rubbishes No9 curse after opening Blues account at Club World Cup

The striker hopes his goal will be the first of many

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Liam Delap rubbished claims that Chelsea’s No9 is cursed after he scored his first goal for the Blues, saying it is just a number.

The striker, who joined from Ipswich earlier this summer for £30million, teed up a goal for Enzo Ferandez on his debut, but the roles were reversed last night as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win over ES Tunis to confirm a place in the Club World Cup knockout round. Tosin Adarabioyo and Tyrique George completed the scoresheet.

Delap cut inside from Fernandez’s through ball and finished with aplomb to double the Blues’ lead, despite wearing the No9 on his back.

Many believe the Chelsea No9 shirt to be cursed after several high-profile strikers struggled to perform in the shirt, including Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku. Delap, though, is not so superstitious.

“It’s just a number,” Delap said at full-time. “It doesn’t mean that much to me.

"You’ve got to have confidence and belief as a player.”

Delap celebrates his first Chelsea goal

REUTERS

To open his Chelsea account on just his third appearance is a dream start for the 22-year-old, and he said many more goals will come.

He continued: “It is an incredible feeling. I came here to score goals, and to get the first one, I am over the moon. Hopefully it’s the first of many.

“I spoke to Enzo (Fernandez) and he told me when he gets the ball, to just run. It was a great pass, and thankfully it went in.

“I just love playing football, and to play for such a good team is a great feeling.”

Chelsea will face Fernandez’s former club, Benfica, in their first Club World Cup knockout tie - a tough fixture, but something of a let-off as earlier forecasts suggested they could meet Bayern Munich.

“We knew we had to win tonight to get through, and we are all happy to be into the next stage.

“We just have to prepare over the next few days and come out fighting.”

Chelsea will face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.