“He wasn’t the guy the fans wanted” - John Obi Mikel reacts to Liam Delap grabbing assist on Chelsea debut at Club World Cup
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel reacted as Liam Delap registered an assist on his Blues debut in the 2-0 FIFA Club World Cup group-stage win over LAFC on Sunday (June 16) at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored either side of the break as Enzo Maresca's side opened their campaign in the new-look competition with a comfortable win.
Neto's 34th-minute opener in Atlanta was assisted by Nicolas Jackson, while debutant Delap set up Fernandez' strike 11 minutes from time in a sparsely filled Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Mikel said about the Ipswich Town arrival to DAZN (as per TBR):
“We needed somebody to come in and score those goals and finish those chances, but obviously he (Delap) wasn’t the guy the fans wanted, obviously we know who the fans wanted, the fans wanted Victor Osimhen to the football club, but he didn’t.
“He’s young, he’s gonna improve, he’s gonna get better, hopefully he hits the ground running and of course he’s gonna quieten those doubters, I wish him well, I hope he succeeds in this club.”
Arriving this summer on a reported £30 million move, the 22-year-old Delap came on for the final half hour and made an instant impact, delivering a pinpoint cross to Fernandez, although he didn't get on the scoresheet.
Meanwhile, the Blues got richer by £1.5 million for beating the MLS side in their Club World Cup opener.
What's next for Chelsea?
Chelsea have continued their winning form since creating history with their UEFA Europa Conference League win last month. The Blues came from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 to become the first side to win European club football's three major competitions.
Their win over Los Angeles on Sunday was their eighth in nine games across competitions. The Blues next take on Brasileiro Serie A side Flamengo in their next group game in the Club World Cup on Thursday (June 19) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
A win over the group leaders could see the Blues through to the knockouts depending on the result of the other game between LAFC and ES Tunis. Maresca's side conclude their group-stage campaign against Tunis on Tuesday (June 24) in Philadelphia.
