Chelsea Cruise Past Esperance 3–0 to Secure Club World Cup Last-16 Spot

Chelsea advanced to the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a convincing 3–0 victory over Tunisian champions Esperance on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Despite the sweltering evening heat, Chelsea delivered a composed performance, scoring twice in first-half stoppage time through Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap, who bagged his first goal for the club. Tyrique George added a third in the dying moments of the game.

The win helped Enzo Maresca’s side finish second in Group D, behind Flamengo, while Esperance were eliminated from the competition.

Maresca praised Delap’s development, noting his positioning and persistence:

“We know Liam is going to score goals with us, we don’t have any doubts about that.”

Chelsea made eight changes from the squad that lost to Flamengo, with Delap, Enzo Fernandez, and Malo Gusto retaining their places. The manager cited high temperatures as a key reason for the rotation.

Next, Chelsea will face Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday — a reunion since the 2013 Europa League final. The winner will proceed to the quarterfinals to meet either Palmeiras or Botafogo.

Highlights of the match:

Adarabioyo’s header broke the deadlock just before halftime.

Delap’s smart turn and finish doubled the lead two minutes later.

George sealed the win late, despite a questionable goalkeeping error.

A Chelsea penalty was overturned by VAR after a handball was reviewed.

Coach Maresca acknowledged the challenge of the tournament, saying:

“From 32 clubs we are now down to 16, with teams like Atletico Madrid already out. That’s something to be proud of.”

Esperance coach Maher Kanzari admitted Chelsea’s superiority but said his team fought valiantly:

“We came up against a world-class team and were dominated, but we didn’t disgrace ourselves.”