Why Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca should stick, rather than twist, in the Club World Cup final

Enzo Maresca’s biggest problem after Chelsea swept Fluminense aside on Tuesday night was finding the superlatives to describe João Pedro’s performance.

He need not have bothered.

In scoring two stunning goals to secure a 2-0 win and book a FIFA Club World Cup final date with PSG, Pedro’s exploits said everything about his awesome finishing skills.

Chelsea Advance To Final With 2-0 WIN vs. Fluminense | FIFA Club World Cup Highlights

Just days after sunning himself on a Brazilian beach, the £60million signing from Brighton was back doing what he does best.

Pedro’s performance certainly gave his manager much to think about with Sunday's final - which you can watch live and free on DAZN - now in clear focus.

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Does Maresca stick with Pedro as his central striker, or might he be tempted to recall Liam Delap?

Nicolas Jackson is also in the queue for a starting berth, albeit some way behind Pedro and Delap.

“It’s a good thing for me and a good thing for any manager when you can decide and you know that they are all good,” Maresca told DAZN after the Fluminense victory.

“It’s a good feeling and we will see now. We have a little bit of time off now to rest, recover our energy and prepare for the final.”

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In the system that Chelsea play, with a lone striker, Maresca must decide whether to stick or twist.

Keeping faith with Pedro would make much sense given that he is fresh, having only made his Chelsea debut in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras last Saturday.

He replaced Delap, who was booked in that game and subsequently suspended for the semi-final with Fluminense.

That afforded Pedro the chance to shine, and how he took it, not once but twice, much to the delight of his manager.

The 23-year-old, making his full debut against his boyhood club, curled home his first goal in the 18th minute after former Blues defender Thiago Silva failed to clear Pedro Neto’s cross.

His second, a powerful shot which went in off the bar in the 56th minute, sealed victory.

During the Club World Cup, Delap, 22, has shown glimpses of the talent which prompted Chelsea to pay £30million for him earlier this summer.

He scored his first goal for the club in the 3-0 group-stage win over Es Tunis.

But he has not managed anything as spectacular as Pedro produced against Fluminense.

“The good thing about Joao is that he was on holiday, so he arrived here a little bit more fresh than the rest,” acknowledged Maresca.

“That is something that we probably need to think about for the future in this kind of competition.

“But we knew already how good Joao was and today he was playing a little bit more deep.

“We know how good he is at being able to drop, link, he’s very good technically in more space, so this is the reason why we decided to bring him here.”

With Pedro in such red-hot form, it seems almost inconceivable that Maresca will not start him again on Sunday.

With Delap also waiting in the wings and pushing for a recall, it is a hugely welcome luxury for Maresca as he bids to deliver another money-spinning victory.

 

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