Chelsea Sweep ES Tunis 3-0 To Reach Club World Cup Last 16

Chelsea Reach Club World Cup Last 16.
Delap scores first Chelsea goal, Tyrique George adds late third.
Chelsea to face Benfica next in the round of 16.

Chelsea secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over ES Tunis to book their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup, where they will face Portuguese giants Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday.

It was a dominant performance from Enzo Maresca’s side, who overcame the intense heat in Philadelphia to outclass their Tunisian opponents. Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap, and Tyrique George sealed the win.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Adarabioyo opened the scoring just before halftime, heading in Enzo Fernandez’s perfectly delivered free kick in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Fernandez, who has been in sensational form, added another assist moments later, setting up Delap, who showed brilliant composure to turn in the box and slot home his first goal for Chelsea.

Delap’s goal marked an important milestone for the £30 million signing, with Maresca expressing confidence in the striker’s ability to consistently deliver. “We know Liam will score goals for us. There’s no doubt about that,” Maresca said after the match.

Chelsea dominated the second half, controlling possession and keeping ES Tunis under pressure. Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos finally made his long-awaited Chelsea debut as a substitute after spending two and a half years on loan.

Christopher Nkunku, who started despite reports linking him to Manchester United, was denied a penalty after a VAR review overturned the decision for handball. In the closing moments, young winger Tyrique George capitalised on a goalkeeper error to score Chelsea’s third and wrap up the game.

Maresca, who made eight changes to his starting lineup, emphasised the need for squad rotation due to the demanding match schedule and hot conditions. “We are proud to be in the last 16, but now we must aim for the top eight,” he said.