Liam Delap Breaks His Chelsea Duck as Blues Cruise Past ES Tunis 3-0: Complete Player Ratings
Chelsea secured victory over ES Tunis to progress to the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16, where they will face Benfica.
The evening's requirements were straightforward for Chelsea. Either a victory or a draw would guarantee their advancement to the knockout phase as Group D runners-up. ES Tunis needed nothing less than a win to qualify, as Flamengo had already secured the group title and LAFC was among the two eliminated sides.
Enzo Maresca's heavily rotated squad appeared disconnected throughout much of the opening period. Players showed clear signs of frustration at various moments. ES Tunis applied early pressure but failed to deliver the crucial finishing touch in Chelsea's penalty area.
The Tunisian outfit employed a defensive low block when not in possession, effectively neutralizing the Blues who struggled to penetrate their defense. Chelsea eventually broke the deadlock during first-half injury time via a set-piece situation. Tosin Adarabioyo connected with an Enzo Fernandez free kick, heading the ball toward ES Tunis's far corner and into the side netting. Liam Delap extended the advantage just one minute later, scoring his maiden Chelsea goal. These two crucial moments provided Chelsea with much-needed relief following a lackluster opening half.
Maresca implemented four substitutions in the second period, and the Blues managed the game effectively. Tyrique George contributed a third goal from the bench in the match's final moments. The performance wasn't particularly impressive for Chelsea, concluding what has been a rather disappointing group campaign for the UEFA Conference League champions. They certainly didn't appear commanding against LAFC, collapsed versus Flamengo, and while comfortable tonight, failed to reach elite standards.
Benfica poses a genuine challenge to Chelsea's tournament ambitions in the round of 16.
Review the player ratings from tonight's encounter below.
Chelsea Player Ratings vs. ES Tunis (4-2-3-1)
*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Filip Jorgensen | 6.9 |
LB: Malo Gusto | 7.4 |
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo | 8.4 |
CB: Benoit Badiashile | 7.3 |
RB: Josh Acheampong | 7.8 |
DM: Romeo Lavia | 7.1 |
DM: Enzo Fernandez | 8.5 |
AM: Christopher Nkunku | 7.5 |
LW: Noni Madueke | 7.5 |
ST: Liam Delap | 7.8 |
RW: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | 7.1 |
SUB: Dario Essugo (59' for Lavia) | 6.3 |
SUB: Marc Guiu (59' for Delap) | 6.1 |
SUB: Andrey Santos (67' for Fernandez) | 7.1 |
SUB: Tyrique George (67' for Madueke) | 7.5 |
SUB: Mamadou Sarr (82' for Gusto) | N/A |
ES Tunis Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (4-4-1-1)
*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Bechir Ben Said | 4.1 |
RB: Mohamed Ben Ali | 5.3 |
CB: Yassine Meriah | 6.0 |
CB: Mohamed Tougai | 5.4 |
LB: Amine Ben Hamida | 5.5 |
CM: Khalil Guenichi | 5.9 |
CM: Onuche Ogbelu | 6.5 |
AM: Yan Sasse | 6.4 |
RM: Elias Mokwana | 5.9 |
ST: Achref Jabri | 5.8 |
LM: Abdramane Konate | 6.5 |
SUB: Mohamed Wael Derbali (46' for Mokwana) | 6.4 |
SUB: Rodrigo Rodrigues (56' for Jabri) | 5.9 |
SUB: Raed Bouchniba (72' for Guenichi) | 6.0 |
SUB: Chiheb Jbeli (83' for Sasse) | N/A |
SUB: Houssem Teka (83' for Konate) | N/A |