Chelsea win Club World Cup: Why Enzo Maresca's squad still trail Champions League big-hitters despite Stateside success

Chelsea are a team transformed under Enzo Maresca, doubts over the Italian's playing style being ended by a relentless closing three months of the season that ended with the team becoming world champions.

On Sunday night, the Blues - the clear underdogs ahead of the Club World Cup final - demolished Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the first half of their New Jersey showpiece to prevail by a 3-0 scoreline in New Jersey.

Cole Palmer produced two sublime finishes and supplied a clever assist for Joao Pedro's third to crown one of the best nights in the history of the West London club, the success also generating unprecedented revenue for that particular competition.

The triumph on the East coast of the United States represented Chelsea's 14th victory in their last 16 games. Only against Newcastle United and Flamengo - when Nicolas Jackson was sent off on both occasions - have they failed to win.

There is now an unforeseen positive spin being put on Chelsea's achievements, the perception being that they deserve to be viewed as one of the favourites for next season's Premier League and Champions League.

As per the Opta Power Rankings, however, there are still five teams that remain ahead of Chelsea, who subsequently only passed three teams based on their formula for judging which teams deserve to be viewed as the best in Europe.

Three Premier League teams statistically better than Chelsea

With Chelsea only finishing in fourth position in last season's Premier League table, it is perhaps expected that they still trail the three clubs that finished above them.

Liverpool's 10-point winning margin in a division deemed to be the best in the world keeps them at the summit, now followed by Arsenal with PSG being viewed in a worse light having been outclassed by Chelsea on a one-off occasion.

Manchester City and Barcelona are also rewarded for their respective exploits over a longer period. In Barcelona's case, they stay in the top five through a domestic treble and reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

Chelsea began the Club World Cup in ninth position in the Opta Rankings and have since moved ahead of Real Madrid, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.

The latter have lost two places through losing to PSG in the quarter-finals of the aforementioned competition. They also suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Benfica that cost them the opportunity to be on what was widely believed to be the most favourable side of the draw.

Why Chelsea still have points to prove against world's best

Of their last 14 victories, nothing comes close to overcoming PSG. Chelsea defeated Liverpool in the Premier League back in May, but that was against a much-changed side after the Merseyside giants had been crowned champions.

Season-defining wins over Nottingham Forest and Real Betis deserve credit in their own right, but PSG played more significant matches than Chelsea in 2024-25 and produced an incredible run to close the campaign.

Prior to the Club World Cup final, Luis Enrique's team scored 24 goals in victories over Reims, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. A clean sheet was recorded in every match.

Chelsea have won just once - in August 2021 - in 12 matches against Arsenal, and have failed to beat Man City in 11 attempts since overcoming Pep Guardiola's side in the 2021 Champions League final.

Written by
Darren Plant