Chelsea is different now. |
PSG came into the tournament as a machine. They had won Ligue 1 early, destroyed Inter Milan in the Champions League final, and then terrorized Bayern Munich (with a man down) and Real Madrid 4-0. They arrived in New Jersey as the favourites. Chelsea? A young, inexperienced team, criticized, doubted, and… forgotten.
But then it was they - Enzo Maresca's "children" - who broke PSG.
Chelsea's deserved victory
Chelsea didn’t beat PSG by luck, nor by a flash of brilliance. They won by suffocating a formidable opponent from the first minute, by pressing high, by speed, by organisation – and above all – by the astonishingly good Cole Palmer.
Returning to the familiar right wing, where he flourished under Mauricio Pochettino, Cole Palmer was an upgraded version. He scored two goals and assisted one for Joao Pedro - direct contributions to the 3-0 victory. But more importantly, he was the soul of Maresca's battle plan.
Chelsea knew that if you let PSG have space to play, you will die. So they did not give their opponents a breather. The English side marked the whole field, pressed hard, and in the first 10 minutes, PSG could not pass the ball properly into the opponent's half.
Coach Enzo Maresca called it “the decisive moment of the match”. He and his students did not just defeat PSG, they “PSG-ized” PSG - as former Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale ironically put it.
Enzo Maresca helps Chelsea transform. |
Once they dominated the game, Chelsea began to exploit PSG's left flank - where Nuno Mendes was tortured by Joao Pedro and Palmer with fast, direct, and uncompromising passes.
John Obi Mikel, former Chelsea midfielder, commented: “I have never seen a PSG defence so stretched and broken.”
The Club World Cup used to be seen as an “exhibition tournament” for many European teams. But this time, it has a different shape – with an expanded format, huge financial rewards (around £90m), and most importantly: the title of “ world champion” lasting until 2029.
It’s no surprise that Chelsea celebrated as if they had just won the Champions League. Not because they were “acting”, but because they knew – this was a milestone that affirmed the class and belief of a project that had been mocked for the past two years.
“I was on the Man City coaching staff when they won the Champions League, but this tournament has the best teams in the world. For me, it is equally important - even more so,” Maresca said.
Palmer also did not hide his pride: “No one believed in us. But we fought, and won.”
From 'joke' to 'statement of power'
Since Todd Boehly took over Chelsea in 2022, the British media have repeatedly targeted them as “the foolish rich”. From long-term contracts, to spending more than £1.5 billion on the transfer market, Chelsea have been called “billion-pound bottle-jobs” - especially after losing to Liverpool in the League Cup final last year.
But now Chelsea have two trophies to win in 2025 – the Conference League and the Club World Cup. They have the youngest squad in the league, with no player over 27. And the Blues beat the world’s biggest names with style – not nostalgia or individual brilliance.
Chelsea had a deserved victory over PSG in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final. |
Players like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto and Joao Pedro are gradually asserting their class. Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens will join, creating a new generation of Chelsea - young, sharp and ambitious.
For PSG, this defeat does not erase a brilliant season. But it is a reminder that the top is never a place to rest. Marquinhos is right. Chelsea exploited PSG’s weaknesses thoroughly. And if they do not change, they will continue to be “read out” in big matches.
PSG lost because of complacency, because they believed that their current style of play was invincible. Chelsea showed the opposite.
Chelsea didn't just beat PSG - they silenced the doubters, silenced the jeers, and announced to the world: they're back. Younger. Better. And scarier.
Meanwhile, PSG - the team that once spread fear throughout Europe - experienced for the first time the feeling of being "completely caught". A warning, nothing more, nothing less.
At MetLife Stadium, they witnessed more than just a win. They witnessed a transfer of power—at least in terms of belief. And Chelsea, once derided for its unbridled spending, can now proudly wear its title: world champions.
PSG suffered a crushing defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final. Early morning on July 14, PSG lost to Chelsea 0-3 in the match to decide the Club World Cup title.
Source: https://znews.vn/chelsea-khong-con-la-tro-he-ty-usd-post1568522.html
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