Liam Delap scored his first goal for Chelsea as the Premier League side defeated Tunisian champions Esperance 3-0 on Tuesday, securing a spot in the last 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The match, played in sweltering conditions at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, saw Chelsea net two goals in first-half stoppage time. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring with a header from Enzo Fernandez’s free-kick, before Delap doubled the lead with a composed finish.
Tyrique George added a third goal late in injury time, helping Chelsea bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Flamengo in the previous match. The result means the Blues finish second in Group D behind the Brazilian side, while Esperance exit the competition.
Head coach Enzo Maresca, who made eight changes to the starting XI following the Flamengo loss, praised Delap’s performance in just his third appearance for the club.
“Against Flamengo, he had three clear chances, which shows he’s always in the right place,” Maresca said. “We have no doubts Liam will score goals for us.”
Chelsea now prepare for a last-16 clash against Portuguese champions Benfica on Saturday in Charlotte. The two clubs last met in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final, which Chelsea won 2-1.
Maresca emphasized the difficulty of playing in the current heatwave and explained his decision to rotate the squad. “It’s impossible not to rotate in these conditions, with matches every three days,” he said.
Josh Acheampong, making his 10th appearance of the season, came close to scoring in the 36th minute but was denied by Esperance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said. Fernandez also had a chance before providing assists for both first-half goals.
Despite a late penalty claim being overturned by VAR, Chelsea sealed the win when George’s low shot slipped past Ben Said in added time.
Esperance coach Maher Kanzari acknowledged the quality of their opponents: “We came up against a top-level team. Though we were dominated, we didn’t disgrace ourselves.”
