Chelsea got their Club World Cup campaign under way with a 2-0 victory over MLS side LAFC in front of thousands of empty seats at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Slow ticket sales have been a big talking point at FIFA’s new-look tournament and just 22,137 were in attendance in a 71,000-capacity stadium to see Pedro Neto give Enzo Maresca’s side the lead in the 34th minute.
The Chelsea fans in Atlanta got their first glimpse of new £30m signing Liam Delap midway through the second half and he made an instant impact, teeing up Enzo Fernandez as the Premier League side made a winning start in Group D.
Reacting to Chelsea’s victory, Blues boss Enzo Maresca said: “Very good result.
“At this stage of the season it’s also normal that you have to manage different kinds of things. Overall I think the performance has been good and we won the game.”
In pictures: Empty seats galore in Atlanta
Empty seats at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Chelsea vs LAFC
Fans wait for the start of the Club World Cup match
Delap dazzles on Chelsea debut
Chelsea found former Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris hard to beat early on as he denied Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke with smart stops.
Maresca’s side were dominating possession and they were beginning to push LAFC further and further back. The Conference League winners eventually broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Neto breached the offside trap and latched onto Jackson’s inch-perfect pass, and the Portugal international cut the ball back in and fired into the bottom corner.
Liam Delap celebrates his assist with goalscorer Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea were made to work hard for their second goal but it eventually came as new signing Delap gave Chelsea fans a glimpse of what they might expect next season.
After combining with Cole Palmer, he almost made a second with his dazzling footwork on the byline but his pass into the box was cleared.
However, as Chelsea continued to probe in search of a two-goal cushion, 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 and round off Chelsea’s win.
Delap: I have to thrive off competition with Jackson
The battle for the starting striker spot has now begun at Chelsea between Jackson and Delap, who both grabbed assists against LAFC.
Speaking after the game, Delap said he must “thrive” off the competition with his team-mate and relish the challenge.
“It’s always healthy to have competition,” he said. “It’s football and this is an incredible club.
“It’s always going to be hard but I think you’ve got to thrive off the competition.”
Delap added: “It’s really important to help the team but I want to score some as well.
“It’s a really happy feeling for me. I’m so excited to be here and to play my first game and contribute. It’s a good feeling.
“They’ve welcomed me really well. I’ve only had a few sessions here but I can’t wait for even more.”
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The Times’ Martyn Ziegler assesses Liam Delap’s debut for Chelsea at the Club Word Cup.
A Delap debut to get excited by
Sky Sports’ Oliver Yew:
It was only a 30-odd-minute cameo but you couldn’t have asked for much more from new boy Delap, who certainly produced a debut to get excited by.
Delap had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the England U21 squad for the Euros but if he can continue to hit the ground running with his new club, it will be a justified decision that will benefit Chelsea in America and beyond.
There was the combination play with Cole Palmer before Delap’s electric turn of pace saw him get to the byline, before his cut back was cleared.
Then there was the assist for Fernandez, drifting out to the right before landing a cross in the perfect spot for a tap-in.
Maybe most pleasing for Chelsea though was the instant physical presence and aggression the £30m summer signing showed in his very first action after coming on. He pressed hard straight away and wasn’t afraid to get stuck in, giving away a free-kick for a shove seconds after coming on.
Promising signs for Chelsea and the 22-year-old.
Who do Chelsea play next?
Chelsea play Flamengo in their next Club World Cup group game on Friday, kick-off 7pm (UK and Ireland time).
They round of their Group D campaign the following Tuesday, when they face ES Tunis.
