Delap shines on debut as Chelsea beat LAFC in Club World Cup opener

Chelsea kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but the win came in front of a noticeably sparse crowd.

With only 22,137 fans inside the 71,000-capacity arena, the atmosphere was underwhelming for a match of such significance. Despite the low turnout, debutant Liam Delap and Enzo Fernández ensured the Blues started Group D with three points.

The Premier League side struggled to find rhythm in a laboured first half, but Pedro Neto opened the scoring in the 34th minute. He latched onto a through ball from Nicolas Jackson and fired a low effort past the near post to give Chelsea the lead. LAFC threatened at the other end, with chances falling to Denis Bouanga, but they were unable to convert.

The second half brought more energy from Chelsea, especially after the introduction of new signing Liam Delap. Signed from Ipswich for £30 million earlier in the month, the England Under-21 forward made an instant impact. 

Within minutes of coming on, he drove at the LAFC defence and delivered a delicate cross that was tapped in by Enzo Fernández for Chelsea’s second goal in the 79th minute.

Delap’s cameo was filled with promise. The young striker almost notched another assist in the closing stages, beating multiple defenders in a 25-yard dribble before squaring a pass that was ultimately cleared.

His brief but impressive performance gave Chelsea fans a glimpse of what he could offer going forward, especially in the absence of key strikers.

LAFC, meanwhile, featured experienced World Cup winners Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, but struggled to match Chelsea’s quality in the final third. Substitutes like David Martinez added some late urgency, but the American side couldn’t capitalize on their limited opportunities.

Chelsea also handed a debut to Portuguese midfielder Dário Essugo, as manager Mauricio Pochettino continues to rotate his squad during the tournament.

With eight wins in their last nine matches—including a UEFA Europa Conference League title—Chelsea will look to carry this momentum into their remaining group fixtures. Despite a subdued performance, their finishing quality and squad depth proved enough to secure the win.