Chelsea vs LAFC - Club World Cup: Live score, team news and updates as Liam Delap hopes to make Blues debut in Atlanta
Hello, hello, and welcome to Mail Sport's live coverage of Chelsea's Club World Cup opener against LAFC!
The Blues' last two games have been in Nottingham and Wroclaw, and they'll now add Atlanta, Georgia to that list - probably a first? - when they take on Los Angeles-based LAFC in about an hour and a half.
We'll have team news, updates, and all the latest from Chelsea's CWC camp right here as we build up to the game, so don't go anywhere!
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Leader Live
32 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Enzo Maresca has one eye on next game after Chelsea's opening CWC victory
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium was less than a third full as the players walked out in front of 22,137 fans but Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 34th minute to give Chelsea a deserved lead at the interval. The Premier League side pushed for a second and finally got it in the 79th minute as summer signing Liam Delap crossed the ball to fellow substitute Enzo Fernandez, who tapped in from close range. Off the mark with a win. See you in 3 days. 🇺🇸 — Tosin Adarabioyo (@TosinAdarabioyo) June 16, 2025 Maresca praised debutant Delap and quickly switched his attention to the fixture against Flamengo on Friday. He said on Channel 5: '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. 'We have to recover. We have a game in three days so we will see. We are going to prepare in the best way and for sure try to win. '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.' Delap, 22, signed from Ipswich for £30million 12 days ago and it took him just 15 minutes to register his first goal contribution as he supplied Fernandez to make it 2-0. Delap 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. 'It is good to help the team but I want to score some as well. 'It is always good to have competition, this is football. It is an incredible club and it is always going to be incredibly hard but you have to thrive off the competition.'
Leader Live
32 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Chelsea win Club World Cup opener against LAFC in front of empty seats
The players walked out at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which holds a capacity of 71,000, with only 22,137 fans in attendance and the entire upper tier of the arena was completely vacant. Chelsea played in front of over 70,000 fans at the same venue against Newcastle in the Premier League's Summer Series just a couple of years ago but deserted seats were the common theme this time as Enzo Maresca's side claimed the first three points of their campaign. Off to a great start. 🙌 — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 16, 2025 The few who turned up saw Neto open Chelsea's account just after the half-hour mark to give the Blues a well-deserved lead heading into the half-time break. Chelsea were made to work hard for their second goal, with £30million summer signing Liam Delap introduced after the break and he supplied fellow substitute Fernandez with the second to seal the victory 11 minutes from time. Former Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris was brought into action early on to deny Nicolas Jackson, who forced a snapshot on target in tight space from inside the area. Chelsea dominated possession and were beginning to trap LAFC closer to their own goal. Jackson did well to pick out Noni Madueke who forced another save from Lloris. The Conference League winners broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Neto broke the offside trap and latched onto Jackson's magnificent pass and the Portugal international cut the ball back in and fired into the bottom corner. LAFC chances were few and far between in the first period but Denis Bouanga's cross caused problems for Robert Sanchez, who flapped at the delivery and sent it behind for a corner. The American side did not want to back down to Chelsea though, and substitute David Martinez made an impact off the bench. His curling strike looked to have Sanchez scrambling but former Blues forward Olivier Giroud accidentally got himself in the way of the effort. The perfect start for The Blues. 🔵#FIFACWC — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 16, 2025 Chelsea almost doubled their advantage after the interval, Neto's teasing cross found Jackson who headed on target but Timothy Tillman proved to be the saviour on the line to keep the deficit at one. New signing Delap was introduced for his Chelsea debut in the 63rd minute and instantly made an impact. He almost made a second with his dazzling footwork on the byline but his pass into the box was snuffed out. Chelsea continued to probe in search of a two-goal cushion and they found it in the 79th minute – Delap got the assist as he hung a ball into the middle of the box and Fernandez was waiting to tap home.
Powys County Times
33 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Enzo Maresca has one eye on next game after Chelsea's opening CWC victory
Manager Enzo Maresca was pleased with Chelsea's performance but was already looking towards the next match after they began their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over LAFC in Atlanta. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium was less than a third full as the players walked out in front of 22,137 fans but Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 34th minute to give Chelsea a deserved lead at the interval. The Premier League side pushed for a second and finally got it in the 79th minute as summer signing Liam Delap crossed the ball to fellow substitute Enzo Fernandez, who tapped in from close range. Off the mark with a win. See you in 3 days. 🇺🇸 — Tosin Adarabioyo (@TosinAdarabioyo) June 16, 2025 Maresca praised debutant Delap and quickly switched his attention to the fixture against Flamengo on Friday. He said on Channel 5: '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. 'We have to recover. We have a game in three days so we will see. We are going to prepare in the best way and for sure try to win. '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.' Delap, 22, signed from Ipswich for £30million 12 days ago and it took him just 15 minutes to register his first goal contribution as he supplied Fernandez to make it 2-0. Delap 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. 'It is good to help the team but I want to score some as well. 'It is always good to have competition, this is football. It is an incredible club and it is always going to be incredibly hard but you have to thrive off the competition.'
