Liam Delap admits to premature celebration mistake in Chelsea’s FA Cup victory
Liam Delap has admitted he made a ‘silly’ mistake after celebrating prematurely in Chelsea’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Hull on Friday night, reports BritPanorama.
The Blues advanced to the fifth round of the competition with Pedro Neto scoring a hat-trick and Estevao also finding the net for Liam Rosenior’s side.
There was, however, a bizarre moment during the match as Delap believed he had scored. The former Ipswich and Manchester City forward closed in on goalkeeper Dillon Phillips, but the ball struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced onto the line.
Delap initially started to celebrate, only to realize that the ball was still in play and then failed to convert the rebound. Speaking after the match, the much-maligned Chelsea star acknowledged his error, describing it as a ‘silly’ mistake.
“I swear on my life I almost ran off [the pitch],” he said. “I thought it went in and then I was waiting for the ref to blow his whistle. Obviously, I should have waited for the ref to blow his whistle. It’s silly from me but yeah, crazy.”
The incident left Alan Shearer, speaking on BBC commentary, bewildered. He remarked, “Goodness me. What is Delap doing? It is as if he is thinking, ‘I have all the time in the world’.” Shearer criticized Delap’s overall performance, highlighting missed opportunities as the player continues to seek consistency.
Despite Delap’s moment of confusion, Chelsea exhibited a strong performance under Rosenior, who has overseen eight wins in his first 11 matches since taking charge. Rosenior replaced Enzo Maresca last month, a transition met with skepticism by some fans.
Reflecting on the match, Rosenior praised his team’s application and work rate, particularly noting Neto’s contribution: “I thought our pressing, our intensity, our work rate, and Pedro exemplified that… they are not just good players, they’re outstanding professionals.”
Chelsea will return to action against Burnley in the Premier League next Saturday, currently holding fifth place in the standings, just one point adrift of Manchester United in fourth.
It’s moments like Delap’s that remind us of the fine line between exuberance and folly in the beautiful game — a lesson in timing, both on and off the pitch.
