Delap Nets First Chelsea Goal as Blues March Into Club World Cup Last 16
By Wafric - Sport
Wafric News – June 25, 2025
Chelsea secured their place in the Round of 16 at the Club World Cup with a convincing 3–0 win over Tunisian giants Esperance on a hot Tuesday evening in Philadelphia, as Liam Delap opened his goal account for the London side.
The match, played in sweltering conditions at Lincoln Financial Field, saw Chelsea strike twice in first-half stoppage time—first through defender Tosin Adarabioyo, then new signing Delap, who turned sharply in the box and finished calmly after being teed up by Enzo Fernandez.
Tyrique George added a third late on in injury time, sealing the result in front of a 32,000-strong crowd. The result saw the Blues bounce back from their 3–1 defeat to Flamengo and finish second in Group D behind the Brazilian side. Esperance, meanwhile, bow out of the competition.
Reflecting on Delap’s breakthrough moment, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca praised the young forward’s instincts. “He had chances against Flamengo, which showed he’s positioning himself well,” Maresca said. “We’ve always believed Liam would score goals—it was only a matter of time.”
Chelsea now shift focus to a high-stakes clash with Portuguese champions Benfica in Charlotte this Saturday—a rematch of the 2013 Europa League final. Benfica qualified as winners of Group C, after beating Bayern Munich.
“Benfica are a top side with quality all over the pitch,” Maresca said. “But we’re in the last 16 now, and the goal is to push into the final eight.”
The Italian manager made eight changes to his starting XI, citing the extreme heat as a key reason for rotating the squad. Delap, Fernandez, and Malo Gusto retained their places, while youth players like Josh Acheampong were given a chance to impress.
Acheampong nearly opened the scoring midway through the first half, but Esperance keeper Bechir Ben Said was equal to the task. Chelsea eventually broke the deadlock in stoppage time when Fernandez floated a set-piece into the box and Adarabioyo rose highest to head home.
Seconds later, Fernandez found Delap, who showed strength and composure to control, turn, and finish clinically—his first goal since signing from Ipswich Town.
Chelsea’s English defender #04 Tosin Adarabioyo (2nd L) celebrates after scoring the opening goal with teammates forward #09 Liam Delap, French defender #05 Benoit Badiashile and Belgian midfielder #45 Romeo Lavia during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group D football match between Tunis’ Esperance Sportive de Tunis and England’s Chelsea at the Lincoln Financial Field stadium in Philadelphia on June 24, 2025.
Despite the oppressive heat—temperatures hovering around 30°C (86°F) into the night—Chelsea controlled the game, with new faces Mamadou Sarr and Andrey Santos also making their debuts for the club.
There was brief drama when a potential Chelsea penalty was overturned by VAR after Santos’ shot struck the hand of Yassine Meriah. But the result was sealed in the dying minutes as substitute Tyrique George slotted in Chelsea’s third, courtesy of a late goalkeeping error.
Esperance coach Maher Kanzari admitted the gulf in class was clear but remained proud of his team’s effort. “We faced one of the world’s top teams and were outplayed, but our players gave it everything.”
Chelsea now look ahead to Saturday’s clash with Benfica—a test that could see them edge closer to global silverware.
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