Football | Chelsea 2 - 0 Los Angeles FC

Chelsea kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a win

Author | Lauren W

A closer look at what happened in Atlanta

The Blues certainly didn't have it all their own way in Atlanta, but they carved out the better chances across the 90 minutes.

The first to be taken arrived via the left boot of Pedro Neto, who surged onto a Nicolas Jackson pass, skipped beyond a challenge, and then fired home. That gave them a lead at half-time. 

LAFC did carry a greater threat in the second period, and Robert Sanchez was called upon on a couple of occasions to make saves, but the Stamford Bridge side guaranteed a winning start to the tournament when Fernandez finished from close range following a great cross from debutant Liam Delap.

New Chelsea signing impresses fans on debut

Chelsea appear to have unearthed a lively new attacking option if Liam Delap’s first appearance is anything to go by.

The England Under-21 forward, who withdrew from international duty to feature at the Club World Cup, made an immediate impact. Picking up the ball 30 yards from goal, he surged past LAFC captain Aaron Long and came close to setting up Enzo Fernández.

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Moments later, his delicate chipped cross was turned in by the midfielder, and he nearly added another assist after a 25-yard dribble in what

Full-time reaction 

The final whistle followed soon after, prompting Maresca to stride purposefully onto the pitch and congratulate his players. It was a job well done, a winning start, and attention now shifts to the next test in the tournament.

A lot of people were talking about the poor attendance. High ticket prices, minimal local marketing efforts and the game kicking off at 3pm local time on a weekday were all cited as other factors for the attendance that was confirmed as being only 22,137. This compares to the 80,000 that watched PSG v Atletico Madrid on Sunday. 

Calum, a Manchester United fan watching on as something of a neutral, told us: “Both Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap got on the pitch and made an impact with an assist each. 

"Delap came off the bench and still managed to create a goal, so the manager will know he can rely on him now. That’ll be massive for his confidence. The number nine shirt at Chelsea is a heavy one, there’s real pressure wearing it, but he’s probably thinking, ‘This is easy’. Honestly, I wish United had gone in for him."