By Sachit Subba • Football • Jun 25, 2025 03:47 AM • 104 views
Chelsea's second-string side rose to the occasion on Tuesday night, sweeping aside Tunisia's Esperance de Tunis 3-0 to march into the Round of 16 at the Club World Cup. Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap, and Tyrique George sealed a clinical victory for the Premier League giants, who finished runners-up in Group D behind Flamengo. Despite resting several first-team regulars, including Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, manager Enzo Maresca's reshuffled lineup delivered a composed and ultimately dominant performance at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. The result sets up a tantalizing knockout clash against Group C winners Benfica on Saturday. The Blues knew a win was essential, and though their opening half-hour lacked final-third sharpness, they eventually found their groove. Delap, a £30 million summer acquisition from Ipswich Town, had two golden opportunities to break the deadlock but was denied by a goalline clearance and a wayward finish.
The breakthrough arrived in stoppage time of the first half, with Adarabioyo rising above the pack to nod in a well-placed header into the bottom corner. It was a reward for Chelsea's dominance in possession, even if their approach had been laboured until then.
Barely two minutes later, Delap made amends for his earlier misses. Pouncing on a loose ball inside the box, the 21-year-old showed composure beyond his years, cutting inside a lunging defender and curling a brilliant finish past the Esperance keeper. It was his first goal in Chelsea colours — and it couldn't have come at a better time.
From there, Chelsea controlled the tempo, stifling any hint of an Esperance resurgence with disciplined pressing and intelligent ball retention. Maresca's side looked content to manage the lead rather than pile on the pressure — a strategy that paid off as the match wore on. In the dying embers of stoppage time, substitute Tyrique George added a cherry on top, driving a low effort from the edge of the area into the net to cap a dominant evening for the Premier League outfit. The result leaves Chelsea with six points from their three group games, one shy of Flamengo, who were held 1-1 by LAFC in a simultaneous kickoff. The Brazilian side will now face Bayern Munich — runners-up in Group C — in Miami on Sunday. As for Chelsea, the challenge only gets tougher. Benfica await, and with Nicolas Jackson suspended for the next match following his red card in the 3-1 loss to Flamengo, Maresca will once again have to juggle his lineup. But if Tuesday's performance is anything to go by, Chelsea's depth — youthful and hungry — may just prove their secret weapon in this year's Club World Cup journey.
