• Source:JND
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FIFA Club World Cup: Cole Palmer delivered a scintillating first-half masterclass as Chelsea annihilated a flat Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Club World Cup final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The English attacking midfielder was the star of the show as he scored twice and provided an assist for Joao Pedro for a crucial goal in a breathtaking display that revamped the tournament's final, which left the European and French champions, who finished with 10 men, utterly outmuscled.

Chelsea, who first savoured the triumph of the Club World Cup in 2021, struck first in the 22nd minute, capitalising on a rare lapse from PSG's Nuno Mendes, who unwittingly gifted control to Malo Gusto, allowing the Blues to strike first.

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Malo Gusto's diligence paid off as he collected the rebound after Mendes blocked his initial shot. Dotting Cole Palmer unmarked in the centre, Gusto picked him and Palmer seized the opportunity with a clinical finish just inside the left post.

Palmer doubled the lead after the 30th-minute cooling break with a goal of sublime quality. Locking onto a specific through ball from Levi Colwill, he cut inside before faking a pass to form a defender and shooting into the bottom-left corner.

Palmer then turned provider, running up the track before finding Joao Pedro, who took the ball in his stride and whipped the offside web before chipping his finish beautifully over keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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PSG's misery was finally completed when Joao Neves was sent off for hauling Marc Cucurella's hair in the 83rd minute, as PSG's players grew in frustration as the match progressed.

The game's intense emotions spilt over into a spirited conflict in its final moments as players clashed in a heated exchange after the final whistle. However, the animosity was short-lived, as Chelsea's players soon shifted their focus to celebrating and basking in the adoration of their ecstatic fans.