Enzo Maresca is already focused on Chelsea's next challenge despite a 2-0 victory over LAFC to begin their Club World Cup campaign in Atlanta. The Blues began their CWC journey with a win, but the manager's post-match comments revealed a quick pivot to preparing for their upcoming fixture against Flamengo.

Chelsea's win against LAFC at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta saw goals from Pedro Neto in the 34th minute and Enzo Fernandez in the 79th minute. The stadium, however, was noticeably sparse, with an official attendance of just 22,137 in the 71,000-capacity stadium. This was despite pre-match estimates hovering around 26,000. The low turnout was attributed to several factors, including the game being played on a Monday afternoon and Los Angeles being over 2,000 miles away from Atlanta.

Maresca acknowledged the unusual atmosphere, stating that the environment felt "a bit strange" due to the almost empty stadium. Despite this, he expressed satisfaction with the result and the overall performance of his team. "Very good result," Maresca said. "At this stage of the season it's also normal that you have to manage different kinds of things. Overall I think the performance has been good and we won the game."

The Chelsea boss was particularly pleased with the debut performance of new signing Liam Delap, who joined from Ipswich for £30 million just 12 days prior. Delap made an immediate impact, providing the assist for Fernandez's goal. Maresca highlighted Delap's quick integration into the team, saying, "The good thing about Liam is that he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick." He also noted the debut of Dario Essugo, emphasizing the importance of giving opportunities to new players.

Delap himself expressed his excitement about joining Chelsea and contributing to the team's success. "It's a really happy feeling for me," Delap said. "I'm so excited to be here and to play my first game, and be able to contribute is a good feeling. The team have welcomed me really well. I have only had a few sessions here but I am excited for more." He also acknowledged the competition for places in the squad, particularly with Nicolas Jackson, stating, "It's always healthy to have competition. It's football and this is an incredible club. It's always going to be hard but I think you've got to thrive off the competition."

Looking ahead, Maresca emphasized the need for the team to recover quickly and prepare for their next game against Flamengo. "We have to recover. We have a game in three days so we will see. We are going to prepare in the best way and for sure try to win," he stated. The match against the Brazilian giants is expected to present a different atmosphere, with a potentially large and passionate crowd.