Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3–0 to lift the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the final at MetLife Stadium.
A result many thought not possible on the day given PSG's dominance over the past few months in multiple competitions, but one that cements Chelsea's return to being a top force in European football.
Cole Palmer got the Chelsea fans going in the 23rd minute with a brilliant curling effort into the bottom left corner past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Chelsea star wasn't done there nearly replicating his first effort to double the Blues' lead. PSG looked stunned having conceded their second and third goals of the entire tournament.
Still, there was plenty of work to do on the day. The Champions League winners wouldn't go quietly as they looked to break down Enzo Maresca's mid-block. But, as PSG looked to push on, they were caught out again as Joao Pedro added a third. A dominant first half from the Blues, but also a shocking one from PSG that fans haven't seen for much of this year.
Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand here
PSG came out of the gates with a higher intensity in the second half. Robert Sanchez made two outstanding saves to deny Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha early as they were continuously denied clear scoring opportunities. Maresca deserves major credit for the tactical setup on the day as Luis Enrique's side were stymied. Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Meneds weren't as influential as they were in the previous round against Real Madrid.
No more goals in the second half with the damage done in the first half enough to see the Blues over the line. João Neves was sent off late with a red card for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair as a symbolic nail in the coffin.
The final whistle blew as Chelsea players and staff ran onto the pitch to celebrate. The Club World Cup trophy now sits beside the UEFA Conference League as Enzo Maresca's spoils this season.
Combined with a top four Premier League finish to earn Chelsea a spot back in the UEFA Champions League and top summer signings, the Blues are back in a big way.
We may earn a commission if you buy something via a link in this article
READ THE LATEST CLUB WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS AND ANALYSIS
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Dominate Paris Saint-Germain to Win Club World Cup Final.
