Chelsea's campaign at the 2025 Club World Cup is no longer a curiosity but a genuine pursuit of the trophy - what are their chances of being crowned world champions, what would it mean for Enzo Maresca's ambitions, and are the club making the right signings?

Four matches in at the Club World Cup, and it seems the Blues have found both form and focus.

With Palmeiras now blocking their route to the semi-finals, the question is less whether Chelsea are taking the competition seriously - that is already obvious - and more whether they can go all the way.

_______________________________________________

Sponsored:

FIFA Club World Cup - Every Game Free, exclusively on DAZN.

Sign up here to start streaming.

_______________________________________________

Statistically and stylistically, Chelsea - the only English side remaining after Manchester City's surprise exit at the hands of Al Hilal - are among the strongest teams remaining. 

They have netted 10 goals across four fixtures and have found the net via eight different scorers, while they conceded three of their total four goals in their one and only defeat.

Their journey began with a routine 2-0 win over LAFC, as Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez found the net in front of a sparse 22,137 crowd - a curiously low figure for what is marketed as a global spectacle.

Maresca described it as "a bit strange", capturing the tepid atmosphere of the opener and suggesting it played a big part in their exhibition match pace.

That was followed by a sobering 3-1 defeat to Flamengo. After Neto gave Chelsea an early lead, the often frustrating Nicolas Jackson's reckless red card changed the game just moments after the Brazilian side had drawn level from Bruno Henrique after the break. 

Flamengo capitalised on goals from Danilo and Wallace Yan, exploiting Chelsea's disorganisation and overcommitment, and perhaps reminding the London side of their frailties, whether mental or tactical.

However, since then, they've rebounded with poise. Chelsea dispatched Esperance Tunis 3-0, where Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and youngster Tyrique George scored.

The round of 16 then brought a lightning-delayed, extra-time, and altogether impressive triumph against Benfica, although Maresca was not mincing words regarding the disruptions.

"It's a joke… it is not football," he said about the repeated delays. He questioned whether the United States was "the right place to do this competition", highlighting the poor scheduling and sweltering heat that have dogged the tournament.

Against the Portuguese giants, a fit-again Reece James opened the scoring after the restart, and Chelsea surged in the additional period with Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealing a 4-1 win.

In fact, the win over Benfica was the 14th time across all competitions that they have scored four or more goals in a game under Maresca; the most by any Premier League team since the Italian's first match in charge.

Still, Chelsea's attacking intent has been further reinforced by action. The club have made two mid-tournament signings: £30 million for Liam Delap from Ipswich, and £60 million for Joao Pedro from Brighton. 

Maresca's system - a fluid 3-2-4-1 - has produced high-possession football with pressing forwards, roaming full-backs and wide overloads, and they have shifted seamlessly between last season's starters and new signings.

While most clubs focused on pitch-matters stability, Chelsea have been busy in the market and have seemingly strengthened well.

Delap has already delivered and looks like a potentially shrewd signing. In his first four appearances, he has scored and assisted, showing sharp movement and an eagerness to lead the line. 

Maresca, familiar with the striker from Manchester City's youth setup, said after his impressive debut appearance off the bench: "You arrive, you work hard, you work more than the other number nine, and you're gonna be first choice."

The message is unambiguous - Delap is not a prospect, he is a leading candidate.

Joao Pedro, meanwhile, brings proper Premier League pedigree. 

A £60 million signing with 30 goals and 10 assists across 70 appearances for Brighton, he is versatile and composed, traits ideal for knockout football.

Registered and ready to go, he is fully available for the upcoming Palmeiras clash and will be keen to hit the ground running in the States, much like Delap has.

With Jackson suspended and underwhelming last season, the decision over Chelsea's next lead striker appears to have narrowed.

Delap has the early advantage - a goal, an assist and natural tactical cohesion - but Pedro is the club's biggest striker signing since Diego Costa. All eyes will be on him to see if he can create as much of an immediate impact as the young Englishman.

Defence is still looking a little thin on the ground, though, with many fans questioning the prioritising of attacking signings over much-needed depth at the back and between the sticks. 

However, it's hard to deny that genuine improvements are being made up top, while they are remarkably well-stocked on paper in midfield, and no doubt plenty of last year's forwards won't survive the chop come the end of the summer window.

With the futures of the likes of Jackson, Nkunku, Joao Felix and Noni Madueke seemingly up in the air, the line leading role is very much up for grabs ahead of the start of next season, and certainly at this stage looks to be in better shape than the previous campaign.

For a club whose recent identity has been muddled by managerial churn, bloated spending and inconsistent league results, the Club World Cup offers something Chelsea sorely needs: clarity.

Winning it would mean silverware, global profile and some welcome validation for Maresca's early tenure.

A Maresca system built on tactical nuance and youth would be transformed from experimental to more verging on the elite when considering the talents already at the club.

Perhaps most crucially, it would lend credibility to the project underway at Stamford Bridge and set the west London side up as closer challengers in the Premier League next season.

There are still plenty of big hitters remaining in the competition, with perennial winners Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both being fancied by many, while it would not even be wise for Maresca to be looking past Palmeiras.

However, tournament football is about growing into it and not peaking too soon.

It appears that Chelsea are just about finding their feet, while others are falling behind, with top players like Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez hitting form, and excitement growing around their ongoing transfer business.

Chelsea's mid-tournament signings, full-throttle performances in extreme conditions, and no-nonsense managerial tone make a clear statement: they are here to win. 

They aren't favourites, but Chelsea remain very much a dark horse in the CWC race.