Chelsea beat Palmeiras to win first ever FIFA Club World Cup trophy
Chelsea required extra time to win their first ever FIFA Club World Cup trophy against South Americans champions and Brazilian giants Palmeiras on Saturday at the Mohammed Bin Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
A 117th-minute penalty converted by Kai Havertz, the lad who scored their 2021 Champions League winner means the Blues have now won every possible trophy under owner Roman Abramovich.
Much like in their semi-final victory against Al-Hilal, Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create chances for much of the game.
Their cutting edge did not improve when Mason Mount was forced off through injury, as he was in their recent FA Cup tie with Plymouth with Romelu Lukaku continuing to cut an isolated figure up front.
Palmeiras, meanwhile, looked to make the most of their threat on the counter-attack, with the pace of Rony and Dudu stretching the Blues defence but clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
Nine minutes after the break, Lukaku made the breakthrough when Callum Hudson-Odoi sent in a pinpoint cross for the first time and the striker powered a header past Weverton.
Christian Pulisic, Mount’s replacement, went close with a shot from distance after a smart lay-off from Lukaku as the English side looked to cement their control.
But just past the hour, Palmeiras restored parity after Thiago Silva was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area after a check on the pitch-side monitor and Veiga converted emphatically from 12 yards to send the game into extra time.
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With a penalty shoot-out looming, Chelsea secured the trophy with a penalty of their own as Luan’s handball was also checked on the monitor before Germany playmaker Havertz fired home.
Luan was then dismissed for a foul on Havertz in the final minute, after the referee was told to consult with his monitor for a third time.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel says that his “relentless” Chelsea side were fully deserving of their 2-1 victory over Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final.
Tuchel, who only arrived in Abu Dhabi on Friday due to coronavirus, felt that Chelsea had some “luck”, but deserved their success for their ‘relentlessness’ in Saturday’s encounter.
“In the end if you score late you need luck to do it but we were relentless and we did not stop trying.
“We did not give in. We had the lead then lost it but never stopped. It was deserved but also lucky when you score late.
“The penalty does not look nervous [from Kai Havertz] but for sure he was. You cannot not be nervous in this situation. We trusted the statistics and I’m happy for him.”
The victory means Chelsea have now lifted every major trophy in their history, finally completing the set after losing in the final of this competition at the end of 2012 to Corinthians.
