Liam Delap opened his Chelsea account as the Premier League side cruised to a 3-0 win over Tunisian champions Esperance on Tuesday, securing their place in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The match, played under sweltering conditions at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, saw two quick goals in first-half stoppage time from Tosin Adarabioyo and Delap, before Tyrique George sealed the victory with a late third in front of a crowd of 32,937.
Manager Enzo Maresca, who made eight changes to his starting line-up following a 3-1 loss to Flamengo, praised Delap’s breakthrough after several near misses in previous games.
“Against Flamengo he had three clear chances to score goals so that means he is there, in the right position. We know Liam is going to score goals with us, we don’t have any doubts about that,” Maresca said.
Chelsea secured second place in Group D behind Flamengo, while Esperance exited the tournament. The Blues now face Portuguese giants Benfica on Saturday in Charlotte. The winner will progress to the quarter-finals to face either Palmeiras or Botafogo of Brazil.
Maresca described Benfica as a “top club with a top manager and top players,” but emphasised Chelsea’s focus on progressing further. “From 32 we are now in the last 16, and the next target is to try to be in the last eight.”
Despite needing only a draw to advance, Chelsea controlled the match and were rewarded late in the first half. Enzo Fernandez, pivotal in midfield, delivered a free-kick for Adarabioyo to head home in the third minute of stoppage time. Just two minutes later, Fernandez set up Delap, who turned sharply before placing a low shot into the net.
The oppressive Philadelphia heat played a role in Maresca’s squad rotation, with players like Josh Acheampong and Mamadou Sarr getting rare starts. Acheampong nearly scored in the 36th minute, but Esperance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said kept him out.
Chelsea were briefly awarded a penalty in the second half when a shot by Andrey Santos struck the hand of Yassine Meriah, but the decision was overturned by VAR.
George, coming off the bench, added a third in the dying moments with a strike that beat Ben Said, capping a dominant display.
Despite the loss, Esperance coach Maher Kanzari remained upbeat. “We came up against a team from the very highest level and were dominated, but we didn’t disgrace ourselves,” he said.
Chelsea now shift their attention to the clash against Benfica, looking to continue their push for Club World Cup glory.
