Player Ratings: Jackson Sees Red as Chelsea Fall Apart Against Flamengo | OneFootball

Chelsea unravels against Flamengo in Club World Cup blow

Chelsea arrived in America chasing global prestige, seeking the sort of silverware that suggests more than just domestic ambition. Yet under the spotlight of the Club World Cup, Enzo Maresca’s side crumbled in familiar fashion. Flamengo, technically sharp and emotionally charged, exposed every fragility in Chelsea’s second-half collapse to run out 3-1 winners and place the Premier League side on the brink of an early exit.

Promising start evaporates

It began with promise. Pedro Neto, lively and incisive, gave Chelsea a deserved lead with a composed finish that momentarily settled nerves. His goal was more than just a breakthrough, it was a signal that Chelsea might finally knit together the talent they have acquired at such enormous cost.

But as quickly as belief arrived, it evaporated. Six chaotic minutes in the second half undid the Blues. Bruno Henrique’s equaliser felt like an inevitability rather than a shock, so passive had Chelsea become. Then Danilo struck and Flamengo turned the screw. When Wallace Yan added a third, it was hard to argue the Brazilian side didn’t deserve their margin.

Tactical disarray and poor discipline

Chelsea’s problems went far beyond the scoreboard. They were uncoordinated in midfield, flat in attack and careless in their defensive positioning. Reece James and Levi Colwill struggled to track Flamengo’s wide threats. Moises Caicedo, who had an early spat with Jorginho, looked unusually unsettled.

Maresca’s substitutions only deepened the gloom. Nicolas Jackson, introduced for energy and directness, managed only to get himself dismissed within four minutes, shown a straight red for a reckless lunge that robbed Chelsea of any hope of a fightback.

Flamengo’s ruthlessness

Flamengo’s control grew with every Chelsea misstep. They pressed high, moved the ball with purpose and punished errors with ruthless precision. This was a reminder that South American clubs do not arrive at the Club World Cup to play second fiddle. Their pedigree and ambition shone, particularly in the second half when they broke with intent and cut through Chelsea with alarming ease.

Their win sends a message not only to Chelsea, but to the competition as a whole. Flamengo came with a plan and, unlike their Premier League opponents, they executed it flawlessly.

Chelsea’s Club World Cup reality check

For Chelsea, this was a stark and sobering reminder of how far they still have to go. All the investment, all the potential, yet the team looks like a patchwork of expensive parts rather than a cohesive whole.

There remains time in the group, but with pressure mounting and confidence evaporating, it is difficult to see how this side regroups in time. The Club World Cup was meant to be an escape from domestic inconsistency. Instead, it’s become an extension of it.

Chelsea player ratings vs Flamengo

Robert Sanchez – 4Malo Gusto – 4Trevoh Chalobah – 5Levi Colwill – 4Marc Cucurella – 5Reece James – 4Moises Caicedo – 4Cole Palmer – 4Enzo Fernandez – 5Pedro Neto – 7Liam Delap – 6

Substitutes:Nicolas Jackson – 0Romeo Lavia – 5