Chelsea kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Monday (Jun 16) in Group D in Atlanta. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez's goals got the Blues off to a good start in a competitive clash against one of the three qualified MLS teams. New signing Liam Delap made his debut as a substitute and helped set up Fernandez's strike, with Chelsea hoping to go far after their UEFA Conference League triumph and Champions League qualification, looking to re-establish themselves among the elite.
Liam Delap made his debut as Chelsea won their Club World Cup opener against Los Angeles FC in front of thousands of empty seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Pedro Neto's near-post shot after being sent clear in the first half was followed by a close-range tap-in from Enzo Fernandez, assisted by Delap's fine cross from the right.
However, the major talking point was an official attendance of just 22,137 fans inside the 71,000-seater arena.
Those in the ground witnessed a laboured performance by Chelsea, but their finishing quality sealed victory with striker Delap impressing as a 64th-minute substitute following his move from Ipswich this month.
Underdogs LAFC, featuring World Cup-winning French duo Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, caused problems but could not take chances which fell to Denis Bouanga and substitute David Martinez.
Midfielder Dario Essugo also made his debut for Chelsea, who have now won eight of their past nine matches, including the Conference League final.
