Palmer and Pedro Power Chelsea to Dominant 3-0 Victory Over PSG in Club World Cup Triumph
Chelsea delivered a spectacular 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, claiming the prestigious trophy at MetLife Stadium.
The Blues began aggressively, seeking to apply immediate pressure on PSG. Joao Pedro harassed the defense while targeting Vitinha to limit the Portuguese midfielder's impact on the match.
Chelsea broke the deadlock through an exceptional surge by Malo Gusto. The right-back attempted a strike that was deflected, but the ball bounced back to him perfectly, allowing him to set up Cole Palmer who elegantly bent his shot beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma into the far corner.
Palmer extended Chelsea's advantage moments later in a similar fashion to the opening goal. Maresca's attacking players maintained their high press while the entire squad defended intelligently in their mid-block formation. New Chelsea acquisition João Pedro capped off the first half brilliantly, netting a third goal in the 43rd minute. An absolutely magnificent and commanding opening 45 minutes from Enzo Maresca's squad.
The second period witnessed PSG attempting to mount a comeback, but Chelsea remained resolute defensively to prevent Luis Enrique's team from creating clear-cut chances. A late dismissal for João Neves, who received a red card for grabbing Marc Cucurella's hair, left PSG to finish with ten players, though the contest was effectively decided in the first half.
Tensions boiled over at the final whistle as players and coaching staff from both teams became involved in confrontations. Regrettable incidents that marred what was otherwise a momentous occasion for Chelsea.
An impressive performance from the Blues, who now add the Club World Cup to their collection alongside their UEFA Conference League triumph. Combined with securing a top-four position in his debut campaign, Maresca has restored Chelsea's status among Europe's elite clubs.
Individual player assessments from the final are listed below.
PSG Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (4-3-3)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma | 5.7 |
RB: Achraf Hakimi | 5.3 |
CB: Marquinhos | 6.0 |
CB: Lucas Beraldo | 5.9 |
LB: Nuno Mendes | 6.0 |
CM: Vitinha | 6.7 |
CM: João Neves | 6.3 |
CM: Fabían Ruiz | 6.5 |
RW: Désiré Doué | 6.5 |
ST: Ousmane Dembélé | 6.7 |
LW: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 5.9 |
SUB: Bradley Barcola (58' for Kvaratskhelia) | 6.7 |
SUB: Senny Mayulu (73' for Doué) | 6.1 |
SUB: Warren Zaïre-Emery (73' for Ruiz) | 6.2 |
SUB: Goncalo Ramos (73' for Hakimi) | 5.9 |
Chelsea Player Ratings vs. PSG (4-2-3-1)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Robert Sánchez | 8.8 |
RB: Malo Gusto | 8.4 |
CB: Trevoh Chalobah | 6.8 |
CB: Levi Colwill | 7.6 |
LB: Marc Cucurella | 6.9 |
DM: Moisés Caicedo | 7.0 |
DM: Reece James | 7.2 |
AM: Enzo Fernández | 6.1 |
RW: Cole Palmer | 9.3 |
ST: João Pedro | 7.5 |
LW: Pedro Neto | 6.7 |
SUB: Andrey Santos (61' for Fernández) | 6.6 |
SUB: Liam Delap (68' for Pedro) | 6.2 |
SUB: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (77' for James) | 6.2 |
SUB: Christopher Nkunku (77' for Neto) | 6.0 |
Player of the Match: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)