Delap scores first Chelsea goal in Nicolas Jackson's absence

Chelsea’s new signing Liam Delap opened his goal account for the club on Tuesday, helping the Blues to a comfortable 3-0 win over Esperance de Tunis and sealing their place in the Club World Cup round of 16.

The 21-year-old striker, signed for £30 million from Ipswich Town earlier this month, wasted no time in justifying his price tag, delivering a lively performance that drew praise from head coach Enzo Maresca.

Delap’s emergence could not be more timely for Chelsea, who was without Nicolas Jackson after the Senegalese striker picked up a red card against Flamengo.

With Jackson sidelined, Delap appears ready to shoulder the attacking burden.

Delap, one of the most in-demand young strikers during the summer transfer window, appears to be adapting quickly to life at Stamford Bridge, a process Maresca says has been aided by their shared footballing understanding.

“I’m pleased with Liam, with him scoring for us. Against Flamengo, he had three clear chances to score goals, so that is already a good feeling because that means that he's there, he's in the right position, he's doing well. Tonight, he scored. We know Liam is going to score goals with us, we don’t have any doubt about that.

“The process is quite quick with Liam, and the reason why is because we know him, and he knows us — the way we want to play,” Maresca explained.

“So, for instance, for Dario Essugo, or for Mamadou Sarr, or even Andrey, who was just with us last pre-season, it's going to be a little bit more complicated.

They need more time because they don’t know the way we want to play exactly. But Liam, as I said, we know each other very well. And then it’s also because he’s a very good player,” Maresca added.

Delap’s quick start offers Chelsea fans hope that the club has found a reliable scoring outlet.