Football

Chelsea ease past LAFC in Club World Cup opener

Published

3 weeks ago

June 16, 2025

Leroy Hawkson

Chelsea began their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a confident 2-0 victory against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, though the match was played in front of a sparse crowd at the 71,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Only 22,137 fans turned out to watch the Blues secure their opening win, with goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández sealing the three points.

The game also marked the debut of new £30m signing Liam Delap – who withdrew from England’s Under-21 Euros squad to participate at the Club World Cup – who came on as a second-half substitute.

Neto and Fernández seal the win

Chelsea took the lead in the 30th minute when Neto latched onto a clever pass from Nicolas Jackson before slotting the ball past LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Fernández then doubled the advantage late on, controlling the ball from a Delap cross neatly before slotting home from close range.

Delap delighted with debut

Summer signing Liam Delap, who joined from Ipswich Town, made an immediate impact after coming on in the 64th minute.

Speaking to Channel 5 post-match, the 22-year-old striker said: “It’s a really happy feeling for me. I’m so excited to be here and to play my first game and be able to contribute is a good feeling.”

“The team have welcomed me really well. I have only had a few sessions here but I am excited for more.”

Maresca pleased with performance

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca praised his side’s display, saying: “Very good result. At this stage of the season it is also normal that you have to manage different kinds of things. Overall, the performance has been good.”

He also highlighted Delap’s seamless adaptation: “The good thing about Liam is he knows the way we want to play so the process is quite quick. Also, we gave a chance to Dario Essugo, which is another player we have, so it’s good for both of them.”