Chelsea were off to a perfect start at the ongoing revamped FIFA Club World Cup as the Blues cruised to a convincing 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC.
LAFC showed early resistance, but Chelsea soon took control, turning the game into one-way traffic. It took the English side 34 minutes to break the deadlock. Nicolas Jackson provided the assist for Pedro Neto, who expertly slotted the ball into the back of the net from point-blank range after dribbling past two defenders inside the box.
In the second half, substitute Liam Delap — Chelsea’s newest £30 million signing from Ipswich Town — looked composed on his debut. He set up Enzo Fernández’s goal in the 79th minute as Chelsea doubled their lead.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was pleased with his team’s performance. Having lost just one match recently, he praised their continued momentum:
“We continue in our journey. We finished the Premier League and the Conference League in very strong form, and we continue winning today with a clean sheet. I am so happy,” Maresca told the club’s media after the match.
Chelsea’s next fixture is against Brazilian giants Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday, while LAFC will face African side Espérance Sportive de Tunis, who lost 2-0 in their opener against the Brazilians.
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