Delap shows true Chelsea colours seconds into debut, Neto furious outburst and what Essugo did

It was nothing to write home about. Absolutely not. But Chelsea got through their FIFA Club World Cup opener in Atlanta unscathed. And, crucially, with three points.

Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez in each half got the Blues off to the perfect start in front of just over 22,000 supporters at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The impressive modern stadium holds 71,000 seats but the majority of those were empty as FIFA’s struggles to sell tickets for this competition was laid bare on Monday.

The lack of atmosphere made it feel at times like a pre-season friendly and that perhaps filtered down to the players on the pitch. There was a slow tempo but for Chelsea, it was a game they controlled, really, from the beginning, albeit they did ride their luck a tad at 1-0.

As soon as Fernandez fired in the Blues’ second goal, though, it felt like a training session for Enzo Maresca’s side. Chelsea will now make their way back to Philadelphia, where they trained for a few days before jetting to Atlanta on Sunday evening, for their second group match against Brazilian side Flamengo.

There were naturally a few talking points to come out of the win against Los Angeles, not least the impact of a certain Liam Delap. Below, Bobby Vincent writes in detail about some of the goings on in Atlanta.

Delap shows true colours

There was a big cheer from the crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on 64 minutes when Delap was introduced to the game. The 22-year-old, signed for £30million earlier this month, was eager to get on and make his debut for the Blues. Replacing Nicolas Jackson, Delap made his presence known right away.

With Aaron Long, the captain for Los Angeles on the afternoon, looking to pass the ball, Delap clattered into the defender and left him on the floor. The sort of aggression Premier League defenders know all too well following the 2024/25 season with Ipswich Town, where the new Chelsea striker would prove to be a nuisance against any opposition player.

Speaking to the media before Chelsea’s win in Atlanta, Delap said this: “I am aggressive – I like to battle with the defenders – plus I am fast. I am a good finisher so hopefully I am exciting to watch.”

Those first 10 words. Summed up within seconds of entering the pitch. That is why this man will come to be loved by Chelsea supporters.

After the win, Delap said to DAZN: “It’s really important to help the team, but I want to score some as well.” Cut yourself some slack, Liam, you were only on the pitch for about half an hour.

Those goals, though, will come. At least they should. Maresca said before the match that he will be rotating as the competition progresses, so it would be no shock at all if Delap was to lead the line when Chelsea take on Flamengo on Friday in Philadelphia.

Neto outburst at half-time

It was a really good day for Neto. The Portuguese winger looked one of Chelsea’s most dangerous players in Atlanta and that showed when he opened the scoring in the first-half.

Some composure in front of goal saw him evade a challenge and make a better angle for himself on his left foot. The finish that followed was then emphatic from the 25-year-old, who has often been criticised for not having enough end product.

Of course, there is the obvious caveat of the level of opposition Chelsea faced on Monday. A great day for Neto nonetheless but there was a bit of fury shown by the former Wolves man.

Neto went to challenge Denis Bouanga as the half-time whistle blew and the LAFC attacker was not at all pleased with the Chelsea winger. That caused a laugh from Neto, who then blew Bouanga a cheeky kiss.

Reece James, being the captain he is, was quick to come over and try to calm things down. Neto was then being held back and was shouting at Bouanga furiously. If that doesn’t tell you how seriously these Chelsea players are taking this competition, then nothing will.

Essugo shows promise

Chelsea supporters would perhaps liked to have seen more of new signing Dario Essugo in Atlanta, but they got a brief cameo from the young Portuguese midfielder. On for Moises Caicedo on 84 minutes, we got to see a tiny glimpse of what the 20-year-old was all about.

Neat and tidy in possession – an absolute necessity for a Maresca midfielder – and on the front foot with his pressing. An aggression about his work out of possession – something sources told football.london he had to add to his game back in March when a deal to sign the midfielder from Sporting CP came about. On 85 minutes, moments after coming on, he showed that immediately.

Stepping forward to win the ball, he nicked the ball away from Igor Jesus and got Chelsea away on a promising counter-attack. A couple of minutes later, he pressed forward off the ball into an attacking position and almost found himself crossing the ball to Delap for an open goal. Aggression we see from Caicedo on a weekly basis.

football.london understands Caicedo will remain first choice at Chelsea – exactly what you would expect from the Player of the Season – but the addition of Essugo means the Ecuadorian has some competition and support. It was undoubtedly an exciting cameo.