Chelsea Advances After 3-0 Win Against Esperance in World Cup

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Chelsea FC secured a spot in the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a decisive 3-0 victory over Esperance on Tuesday night.

Liam Delap scored his first goal for Chelsea and Enzo Fernández provided two assists during the match at Lincoln Financial Field. The victory improves Chelsea’s standing in Group D, finishing with six points, just behind Flamengo.

Esperance struggled to keep up, eventually finishing third in the group and being eliminated from the tournament. A crowd of 32,967 witnessed the match, which featured hydration breaks amid the 90-degree heat.

The scoring opened in the third minute of first-half stoppage time with Tosin Adarabioyo heading a ball in from a Fernández free kick. Delap followed two minutes later, skillfully dribbling past goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said to score.

Tyrique George capped off the evening with a goal from the top of the circle in the second half, resulting in a shot that rebounded off Ben Said’s hands.

“Coming to this club of this size and getting my first goal means everything to me. Every goal is special, and this one is definitely up there,” said Delap.

Chelsea will next face Benfica on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, while Esperance’s journey in the tournament has come to an end. “We see that the public is always with us. Esperance fans are always present when we travel. There’s great passion around the club,” said midfielder Mohamed Wael Derbali.