Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 in the first round of the 2025 Club World Cup Group D with goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo. Maresca said his team showed a strong ambition to win and encouraged the team to continue to maintain an excellent attitude.

Jackson made a straight pass in the 34th minute, Pedro Neto received it and broke into the penalty area and shot into the goal, helping Chelsea to open the scoring with a 1-0 lead.

In the 79th minute of the second half, Chelsea's new signing Liam Delap broke through the defense and passed the ball. Enzo shot the ball into the goal, helping Chelsea extend their lead to 2-0.

In the end, Chelsea defeated Los Angeles FC 2-0.

Chelsea coach Maresca said in an interview, "As professional players, you have to adapt to any environment and situation. The most important thing is the attitude and behavior of the players. They once again showed a high degree of professionalism and a strong desire to win in this game. This victory is crucial, but not conceding a goal is equally important."

“We showed strong defensive capabilities and conceded few goals in both the Premier League and the UEFA European Association League last season. We continued this form in this game and we hope to continue with this attitude.”

In addition, Liam Delap, who had joined Chelsea before, assisted Enzo to score after coming on as a substitute in this game, and his performance was eye-catching.

Talking about the performances of Jackson and Liam Delap, Maresca said, "They are both very good No. 9 players. I hope they can score goals and assists like this. I prefer to have four or five players who score 10 to 12 goals each, rather than relying on a striker who can score 40 goals, and Enzo scored again, which is great."

"We tried different attacking methods last season when Jackson and another player were out for two or three months and we had to keep looking for alternatives. But now we have Jackson and Liam Delap up front and I am very happy as a manager."

As for Pedro Neto, who helped Chelsea win, Maresca said, "Pedro Neto is a very good person, very professional, and works hard every day. He has performed very well and has been performing well since joining. Next season, his goals and assists will make further progress, and we are all satisfied with Pedro Neto."