The former Ipswich Town striker continued his strong form in the United States as he showed why the Blues paid £30 million to get him

Chelsea's journey in the Club World Cup will continue after a brilliant showing from midfield maestro Enzo Fernandez and promising signs from recent arrival Liam Delap in a 3-0 win over Tunisian giants Esperance Sportive de Tunis in their group-stage finale.

After a shock defeat to Flamengo on Matchday 2, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made several changes to the line up, keeping only Malo Gusto and Fernandez in the starting XI. The Blues started slowly in a heat-impacted, sluggish opening 45 minutes. But the moves paid off in first-half stoppage time.

Two minutes into added time, Fernandez sparked Chelsea with a sublime lobbed free kick from outside the box that found a soaring Tosin Adarabioyo, heading the ball past Espérance keeper Bechir Ben Said – who stood almost motionless as the ball hit the net.

Fernandez produced another moment of magic just minutes later. The Argentine lobbed a killer pass into the path of Delap, who took a delicate first touch, showed some nifty footwork, and rolled the ball past Ben Said again. The Espérance goalkeeper, once more, appeared rooted to the spot.

Chelsea will be thrilled by Delap’s goal – his first for the club – as he showed composure that’s been missing from the team in recent years. The 22-year-old now has a goal and an assist in his first three appearances for the Blues.

In the second half, Chelsea focused on maintaining possession and keeping Espérance out of dangerous areas. But there was some controversy in the 76th minute. The Blues were initially awarded a penalty, and Christopher Nkunku stepped up to take it – only for the call to be overturned after VAR determined a defender’s arm was in a non-threatening position. Nkunku was left visibly frustrated by the reversal. Still, Tyrique George added the finishing touch with a stunning long-range blast that sealed the 3-0 result.

Chelsea now look ahead to a knockout stage matchup this weekend against Benfica in Charlotte, N.C.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Filip Jørgensen (6/10):

Wasn't called into action once, as Espérance failed to register a single shot on target. Kept things neat and tidy with his passing.

Josh Acheampong (6/10):

Largely blended in – likely exactly what Maresca wanted from the 19-year-old. Perhaps the biggest compliment from the manager was giving his rising young defender a full 90 minutes.

Tosin Adarabioyo (8/10):

Picked up right where he left off last season – when he posted a career-high four goals – by heading home a strong finish off a set piece. To be fair, Fernandez put it on a plate for him, but Adarabioyo took full advantage.

Benoît Badiashile (7/10):

Didn’t put a foot wrong all night and delivered a composed showing at the back. Could earn more minutes if he continues like this.

Malo Gusto (7/10):

One of the holdovers from the Flamengo loss. Offered little going forward, but did well to contain Espérance's threat out wide.

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Noni Madueke (8/10):

Had dribbles for days, completing four, and chipped in with three key passes. A strong showing from the English winger, who looked sharp throughout.

Roméo Lavia (5/10):

A quiet night for the Belgian. Struggled to make an impact defensively and was only slightly more effective going forward.

Enzo Fernández (9/10):

In the span of three minutes, the Argentine showed exactly why Chelsea spent £106.8 million to get him. Pulled the strings, sliced through Esperance with ease, and ran the show in midfield.

Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall (7/10):

Played in a few dangerous crosses and tallied three key passes, though he faded at times. Still, a solid outing from the midfielder.

AFPAttack

Christopher Nkunku (6/10):

The Frenchman joined Chelsea to much fanfare two years ago, and supporters are still waiting to see the form that made him a star at RB Leipzig. Against Espérance, it was more of the same from the attacking midfielder – though he'll feel hard done by after the reversed penalty call.

Liam Delap (8/10):

Have Chelsea finally found their long-awaited answer at striker? It might be too early to tell, especially with Delap yet to face European opposition in a Chelsea shirt. But the signs are promising. His composure belies his age; he looked unflappable, and that was evident with his goal.

Subs & Manager

Dário Essugo (6/10):

Came for Lavia in the 59th minute and was largely quiet, and foul-prone in his second appearance for the club.

Marc Guiu (6/10):

Replaced Delap up top and had one shot on target, otherwise nothing to note.

Andrey Santos (7/10):

Made his long-awaited debut for the Blues after joining the club in 2023. Assisted on Tyrique George's wonder-goal and made two tackles. Solid start from the Brazilian.

Tyrique George (8/10):

Another 19-year-old given a chance by Maresca and WOW. The teen forward has impressed at the Club World Cup and he took his goal like a world-class star, launching a rocket past the helpless Ben Said. Remember this name.

Mamadou Sarr (N/A):

Another promising player to make his debut. Didn't have much time to make an impact.

Enzo Maresca(9/10):

The Italian got his fair share of criticism over his team's performance against Flamengo – and he made significant changes as a result. Not only did Chelsea respond emphatically, but he also able to rest key stars and give debuts and rare playing time opportunities to some of the club's promising young players. A win-win.