By Fagbenro Rosheed


Chelsea may be winning matches, but they haven’t yet won the argument.

After an erratic group-stage showing in the Club World Cup, Enzo Maresca’s team finds itself in the round of 16, but with as many questions as certainties. Convincing wins against LAFC and ES Tunis did just enough to balance the bruising reality check handed to them by Flamengo. If silverware is the aim, the current blueprint requires refining, not romanticising.

Let’s start with what’s clearly working. Maresca’s tactical “Plan A”; a 4-2-3-1 that shapes into a possession-based 3-box-3, has been effective against lesser opposition. Chelsea’s mechanical dominance against ES Tunis and LAFC mirrored their Conference League triumph earlier this year: high possession, patient probing, and late goals after the opponent is physically and mentally worn down. That’s structure. That’s identity. That’s coaching.

Then there’s Liam Delap; Chelsea’s mid-year signing who’s skipped the awkward settling-in period and gone straight to becoming essential. His goal against ES Tunis wasn’t just a debut score; it was a show of technical elegance and positional intelligence. Maresca knows him well from their City days, and Delap looks like he was born for this role. In fact, with Jackson suspended, Delap’s composure could well be the difference between survival and exit in the knockout stages.

Credit must also go to Maresca’s rotation policy. With 25 of the 28-man squad already used and no player starting all three games, he’s managed to rest legs in searing heat without compromising qualification. That takes clarity of thought, and a little luck.

But let’s not ignore the obvious flaws. The tactical tweak against Flamengo was a self-inflicted wound. Trying out a new variation against the strongest team in the group showed either overconfidence or miscalculation. Gusto’s high positioning, Palmer’s tucked-in role, and James in midfield only resulted in one thing: chaos. The structure collapsed under pressure, and Chelsea conceded three goals that could’ve been avoided with a more familiar setup.

And then there’s Cole Palmer. Still waiting to hit 2025 form, Palmer looks tired and uninspired. His exclusion from the ES Tunis game might be Maresca’s attempt at a soft reset; a mental refresh. But Chelsea cannot afford a quiet Palmer in the knockouts. If they want to go deep in this tournament, their brightest talent needs to shine again.

Finally, the left wing remains a problem. With Mudryk looking at a possible 4-year suspension and Sancho gone, Chelsea have no real threat on that flank. It has become a blind spot opponents can exploit. Until reinforcements arrive, perhaps Jamie Gittens from Dortmund(whose deal is at an advanced stage at the time of writing),  it will remain an area of tactical discomfort.

Verdict? Chelsea are in the knockout phase, yes. But they’ve not yet played like a team capable of conquering this tournament. The building blocks are there; tactical identity, a hungry striker, and intelligent rotation — but only if Maresca resists unnecessary experiments and rekindles Palmer’s spark can Chelsea be taken seriously.

The Club World Cup offers no margin for error. Benfica await. Then perhaps Palmeiras or Botafogo. To make it into July, Chelsea need more than control, THEY NEED CONVICTION.