I’ve Been Frustrated with Him” – John Obi Mikel Slams Chelsea Star After Chelsea’s Club World Cup Win

Chelsea may have opened their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC, but former Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel wasn’t impressed with one player’s performance.

The Premier League side got the job done in Atlanta, Georgia, thanks to goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez. Neto opened the scoring in the first half with a brilliant finish, while Fernandez sealed the win late on after a clever assist from new signing Liam Delap.

It was a solid start to the tournament for Chelsea, who now sit in a strong position to qualify from Group D. They’ll face Flamengo and ES Tunis in their remaining group matches as they aim to go all the way in the expanded Club World Cup.

But while Chelsea picked up three points, Mikel – who won two Premier League titles during his time at Stamford Bridge – was left unimpressed by winger Noni Madueke.

Speaking on DAZN, Mikel admitted:

“We need more from Madueke. I’ve been frustrated with him in the first half. He’s had a lot of the ball but hasn’t gone past his man. His final ball wasn’t good either. He needs to clean that up.”

Madueke was taken off after just over an hour and replaced by youngster Tyrique George. The 22-year-old, who joined from PSV for £30 million in 2023, has had an inconsistent spell at Chelsea so far, and his latest display may raise questions about his future. Reports suggest Chelsea could be open to offers for him this summer.

Despite the criticism, there were positives for new manager Enzo Maresca. The Italian praised Chelsea’s overall display and was particularly pleased with the debut of striker Liam Delap, who joined from Ipswich Town in a £30 million deal.

“Very good result,” Maresca said.

“Overall, I think the performance was good. The good thing about Liam is he knows how we want to play. It was great to see him and Dario Essugo play their part.”

Delap came on for Nicolas Jackson in the second half and wasted no time making an impact, setting up Fernandez’s goal with a smart assist.

Still, the game had an odd feel to it. Despite being played at the massive 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium – home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS side Atlanta United – the official attendance was just 22,137, leaving many seats empty.

Chelsea may not have delivered fireworks like Bayern Munich’s 10-0 win or PSG’s 4-0 thrashing on Sunday, but they took a professional step forward in the competition. However, with Flamengo and ES Tunis still to come, Maresca will know there’s work to do – and players like Madueke will need to step up.