How the Parisians were dismantled at the MetLife Arena on Sunday night
In a seismic upset that has sent shockwaves through the footballing world, Chelsea comprehensively defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to lift the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium. The victory marks a significant statement from Enzo Maresca’s side, who expertly dismantled a PSG team that had, until now appeared virtually invincible.
Paris Saint-Germain, who had dominated European football all season – clinching the Ligue 1 title in early April and overwhelming Inter Milan in a one-sided Champions League final – arrived in New Jersey heavily favored. Their path to the final included a nine-man victory over Bayern Munich and a commanding 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid, suggesting another comfortable triumph was on the cards.
However, from the opening whistle, Chelsea dictated the terms. Even before Coldplay’s vibrant halftime show, the Blues had established an unassailable 3-0 lead. Cole Palmer was the undisputed architect, scoring two superb goals and setting up another for Joao Pedro with United States President Donald Trump in attendance.
“I’ve never seen PSG turn the ball over as much as they have in this first half,” observed former England midfielder Andros Townsend on Dazn, praising Chelsea’s “willingness to track the ball in this New York heat.” The astonishment was widespread, with pundit Gareth Bale succinctly stating, “PSG have been PSG’d.”
So, how did Enzo Maresca’s tactical genius unravel the Parisian powerhouse?
A key factor in Chelsea’s success, as has often been the case over the past two years, was the sublime form of Cole Palmer. The 23-year-old, who had endured a challenging period playing predominantly as a conventional number 10, rediscovered his best form after being shifted back to the right wing – a position he excelled in under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea’s strategy hinged on a blistering start. Maresca revealed that the team “won the game in the first 10 minutes” through their aggressive, high-pressing approach, which put PSG under unprecedented pressure. “The idea was go man-to-man because if you leave spaces to PSG they will kill you, so we tried to be very aggressive and suffocate them early on and that intensity was crucial in the first 10 minutes,” Maresca explained.
Once Chelsea asserted their dominance, they relentlessly targeted PSG’s left flank, with Joao Pedro frequently drifting wide to combine with Palmer. Their direct attacking style, featuring passes dropped in behind the PSG defense, gave left-back Nuno Mendes a torrid time throughout the match.
“We had a lot of success exploring the left side of their defence,” Maresca confirmed. “Things worked perfectly for us due to the effort the players put.”
Townsend lauded Chelsea’s performance as a “tactical masterclass,” a sentiment echoed by former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi, who added, “That’s what they’ve done – they’ve stretched this PSG defence, we’ve never seen a team do this to them.”
The victory not only secures Chelsea their first FIFA Club World Cup title but also signals their emergence as a formidable force on the global stage.
By: Eugene Upah
