Player ratings as ‘Cold’ Palmer freezes PSG in Chelsea rout | OneFootball

Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, beating the UEFA Champions League winners 3-0 in New Jersey.

Fresh off the UEFA Conference League triumph, Enzo Maresca’s side jetted off to the United States with renewed optimism, especially after returning to Europe’s top table.

Seeking their first Club World Cup title since 2021, Chelsea couldn’t have faced a more formidable rival in the grand final than the reigning Champions League holders.

Despite the most successful season in club history and the chance of winning an unprecedented quintet, PSG looked like a team up the creek without a paddle from the get-go.

Luis Enrique’s men were dominant throughout the tournament, with each of their five Club World Cup wins coming by 2+ goals ‘to nil,’ highlighting their status as pre-match favourites.

However, Chelsea seemed unfazed by PSG’s red-hot form and superior head-to-head record, although they trailed Les Parisiens in terms of possession and territorial control.

PSG’s 70% possession failed to produce anything meaningful in the final third, with the perennial Ligue 1 champions generating an unenviable 0.12 xG in the opening 45 minutes.

Standout forward Desire Doue got closest to finding the net for the French giants, yet Robert Sanchez pulled off a terrific save to thwart his shot from the edge of the box.

On the other hand, Chelsea seized every opportunity to hurt their esteemed rivals on the break, with Cole Palmer running the show at MetLife Stadium.

Maresca’s new No.10 forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a crucial diving save in the eighth minute, but it was only a warning shot of what was to come.

Palmer opened the scoring midway through the first half with a clinical left-footed finish from the edge of the box before doubling Chelsea’s lead minutes after the cooling break.

His second goal was a carbon copy of the deadlock-breaker, though this time, he had to get past several PSG players before finding a pocket of space to unleash an unstoppable low effort.

The 23-year-old playmaker was unplayable, turning from scorer to provider as he teed up Joao Pedro with a defence-splitting pass on the stroke of half-time.

Calm as you like, Chelsea’s marquee summer signing chipped the ball over Donnarumma to make it 3-0.

PSG needed a miracle to overturn a three-goal deficit and nearly got the second half off to a dream start, only for Sanchez to stop Ousmane Dembele’s close-range attempt with an epic save.

Sanchez’s crucial save extinguished the final spark of hope for Les Parisiens, who struggled to generate any meaningful chances for the rest of the match.

Meanwhile, Chelsea nearly made it 4-0 through second-half substitute Liam Delap. However, Donnarumma flew through the air to tip his long-range shot into the corner.

The Italian goalkeeper got the better of the former Ipswich Town striker again in the 80th minute, coming up huge in a one-on-one situation to prevent further damage.

With the clock ticking down, PSG players started to get nervous, with Joao Neves picking up a straight red card for a cynical tackle after consulting with VAR.

It capped off a disappointing day for the French outfit as Chelsea strolled to their second Club World Cup title.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

Robert Sanchez (9/10) – Made a superb save to deny Doue and stop PSG from drawing first blood. Unbelievable reflexes to stop Dembele. Had a game of his life!

Marc Cucurella (6/10) – Fared reasonably well against the French starlet. Often used excessive force to deal with his fancy footwork and blistering speed.

Levi Colwill (8/10) – Chelsea’s best-performing defender rose to the challenge, making light work of Dembele.

Trevoh Chalobah (7/10) – Well-positioned on several occasions to avert the danger, he made up for a lack of speed with outstanding anticipation.

Malo Gusto (7/10) – In addition to solid defensive work, the Frenchman offered depth in attack, frequently overlapping down the right flank.

Reece James (7/10) – Despite playing out of position, the Chelsea captain demonstrated his playmaking capacity in a Trent Alexander-Arnold-like performance.

Moises Caicedo (6/10) – Crucial in breaking up PSG’s counter-attacks and closing spaces between the lines, Caicedo controlled the midfield with timely tackles and relentless energy.

Cole Palmer (10/10) – It was another exhibition of a mercurial talent. PSG defenders knew he would cut inside but couldn’t do anything to stop it. Set up Pedro with an inch-perfect through ball.

Enzo Fernandes (6/10) – With James and Palmer dictating the play, the Argentine had to settle for a support role, embracing the more ‘dirty’ work.

Pedro Neto (6/10) – Except for a reckless yellow card late in the first half, it was a near-anonymous showing from the Portuguese winger as he barely influenced the game from the left flank.

Joao Pedro (8/10) – Omnipresent in the build-up, the Brazilian often dropped deep to help link play. Proved his scoring credentials with a delightful finish.

Substitutions

Andrey Santos (6/10)

Liam Delap (7/10)

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (5/10)

Christopher Nkunku (5/10)

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10) – Let down by his backline on a number of occasions, the Italian couldn’t build on a fantastic early save against Palmer.

Nuno Mendes (3/10) – Palmer’s trickery tore through the Portuguese full-back, exposing his defensive limitations. Did nothing to atone on the opposite side of the pitch.

Lucas Beraldo (4/10) – Too slow and far away from action, he failed to help Mendes close down Palmer, which led to PSG’s downfall in East Rutherford.

Marquinhos (4/10) – You’d expect a centre-back of his class and experience to thrive in this type of environment. However, the Brazilian was caught out several times during the match.

Achraf Hakimi (4/10) – Occasional overlapping runs weren’t enough to mask the Moroccan’s disjointed performance as he struggled on both ends of the field.

Vitinha (5/10) – The beating heart of PSG’s midfield stopped running tonight, fading out as Chelsea took control and dictated the pace of the match.

Fabian Ruiz (5/10) – The high tempo overwhelmed him completely, making it difficult for him to impose himself on the game.

Joao Neves (6/10) – Unlike his midfield comrades, the diminutive star was all over the place, yet his energy was insufficient to spark PSG’s comeback. Lost his nerve down the final stretch.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (4/10) – Probably his weakest display in the Paris shirt. Ineffective and frustratingly off the pace, he couldn’t impact proceedings.

Desire Doue (7/10) – The teenage sensation has been a point of difference throughout the season, but this wasn’t his evening. Sanchez clipped his wings early on with a match-defining save.

Ousmane Dembele (4/10) – Speaking of frustration, Dembele was the embodiment of it. Cut off from the rest of the pack, he fumbled the only chance that came his way, which could’ve offered PSG a way back into this clash.

Substitutions

Bradley Barcola (3/10)

Goncalo Ramos (2/10)

Senny Mayulu (5/10)

Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10)