Chelsea got the job done despite heavy rotation in their final Club World Cup group stage game against ES Tunis.
Enzo Maresca didn’t want to take any risks as host city Philadelphia underwent a ‘Heat Health Emergency’. The manager made plenty of changes and left the likes of Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella on the bench.
Their star players were not needed in the end, with goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Tyrique George securing a 3-0 win for the Blues.
The boss will have no doubt been keen to bounce back from the damning defeat to Flamengo, overshadowed by Nicolas Jackson’s red card.
The sending off and subsequent suspension has handed Delap a clear run at the striker position, and he grabbed that with both hands by scoring his first goal for the club against ES Tunis.
Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea FC: Group D - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Photo by Carl Recine – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Some nifty footwork opened the opportunity up for the Englishman to give Chelsea fans a preview as to what they can expect to see for many years to come at Stamford Bridge.
Tunisian media were full of praise for the striker, with Webdo stating that his tecnical abilities were too good for the opposition to deal with.
They said: “Adarabioyo’s free kick, then Delap’s slalom, illustrated the physical and technical gap between the two teams. Dazed, the Tunisian players never regained the momentum they had gained at the start of the match.
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“The second half? A siege controlled by Chelsea, a valiant but resigned Tunisian defense, and a third goal scored by Tyrique George in stoppage time.”
American media said Delap could be Chelsea’s answer to breaking down tough defences, the challenge they faced in their final group stage game.
Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea FC: Group D - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images
Delap forming strong new partnership already at Chelsea
Many expected Delap and Palmer to be the go-to partnership in a Chelsea shirt, however so far it has been another player working wonders with the striker.
Enzo Fernandez got on the end of an assist from the Englishman on his debut, with the World Cup winner returning the favour against ES Tunis.
Delap praised Fernandez for the instructions he offered during his second start for the club, with them directly leading to his first goal for the Blues.
As the Argentine moved to 18 assists for the season, he continued to prove he is currently a key player under Maresca at Stamford Bridge.