Chelsea's striker urges the team to seize control, emphasizing the crucial need to defend leads and secure wins.
Chelsea forward Liam Delap has urged his team to take control of games to get back to winning ways and avoid more frustrating results in the second half of the season.
The 22-year-old played in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, a match in which the Blues went behind early, recovered to take the lead through a Cole Palmer penalty and an Enzo Fernandez goal, only to concede again before halftime.
Reflecting on the match, Delap admitted the result was disappointing:
"Obviously, it's disappointing. We came into the game and didn't get the three points as we had planned. We are disappointed with the result because we conceded two sloppy goals. It's not good enough, but now we can only analyze it and work on it. But it happens, and we have to look to the next game."
The forward emphasized the importance of maintaining control and winning games, particularly after gaining a lead in the first half:
"We got ourselves into a good position and we have to hold on until the end and not concede those goals. No one does it intentionally, and although we try to maintain control, sometimes we don't manage it. We simply have to maintain control when we are ahead and in a good position, try to manage the game, and hold onto the lead."
Looking ahead to Chelsea's upcoming games, Delap highlighted the need to implement this approach to secure wins:
"We have to move forward. I think the second half was very positive, but we have to find a way to score and manage the game to take all three points."
What Happened in the Match Between Chelsea and Bournemouth?
Chelsea and Bournemouth starred in an electrifying clash in London, in one of the matches of the Premier League's 19th matchday.
The spectacle was formidable: there were four goals in the first 27 minutes. Playing for the London team were Enzo Fernandez, a star of the world champion, and Alejandro Garnacho, who is seeking to reclaim a place in the national team. Playing for the visiting side was Marcos Senesi.
The match had everything. Dangerous situations, suspense, uncharacteristic errors, and a perfect example of the product the Premier League often delivers.
In the 6th minute, Bournemouth opened the scoring with a surge from Brooks. Seven minutes later, Cole Palmer sealed the 1-1 with an effective and powerful penalty, right into the corner.
On the 23rd minute, Garnacho created a collector's item of a play, passed to Enzo, and with universal class, embarrassed a defender with a feint and slotted the ball past Petrovic at the near post. It seemed Chelsea was running away with it.
Unbelievably, again following a throw-in, Bournemouth equalized. Antoine Semenyo's throw-in was impressive. The goal was scored by Justin Kluivert.
Join The Conversation
Roundtablesports is Free to join! You can post your own thoughts, comment on articles, and start conversations with our Roundtable Writers. Scroll up to the top of the page and click 'Join'.
Download the FREE Roundtable APP, and get even easier access to your favourite teams and news!