Offensively, Chelsea were terrific in their 3-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.
Cole Palmer took his two goals very well, while Joao Pedro’s finish was not bad either. The Brazilian chipped Gianluigi Donnarumma to put Chelsea 3-0 up before half-time.
Enzo Maresca‘s men also impressed defensively, with the likes of Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella having really good games.
Former Chelsea player Frank Leboeuf has since gone on to praise the former and his impact during the match.
Malo Gusto coped well with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes
In Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, PSG have one of the most dangerous wide men in football right now.
The 24-year-old has been excellent for Luis Enrique’s side since joining them from Napoli in January, scoring in the Champions League final.
However, he did not get too much joy against Gusto, who dealt with both him and teammate Nuno Mendes well, according to Leboeuf.
Speaking about Gusto on ESPN FC after the game, Leboeuf said: “Overall, there is nothing to complain about. Malo Gusto was able to cope with Kvaratskhelia and Mendes at the same time with the help of his teammates. At the back, they were strong.”
Gusto really relished his battle with Kvaratskhelia, celebrating coming out on top in one duel against the Georgia international during the Club World Cup final tie.
It is thought that Bayern Munich are keen on signing Gusto this summer, and it would not be a surprise if their interest became a bit more serious following his latest outing.
How Chelsea proved Frank Leboeuf wrong in Club World Cup final
Leboeuf may be a happy man now after watching his former side lift the Club World Cup, but the ex-France international feared the worst going into the game.
He did not rule out PSG beating Chelsea 4-0, believing that they could defeat any side by that margin.
When Leboeuf previewed the Chelsea vs PSG match, he said: “I try to be optimistic for Chelsea, but according to what I’ve seen from both clubs, it’s hard for me not to predict that any team which plays against PSG, to not lose 3-0 or 4-0. That’s what it is. And I’m scared for the young boys of Chelsea, because that could be a lesson. Will it be a good lesson or bad one? I don’t know.”
In the end, though, it was the Blues who won comfortably, proving Leboeuf and all of their other doubters wrong.
Chelsea have now raised expectations for themselves. Some will want to see them challenge for the Premier League title now, especially if they continue to add to their squad.
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