In a drama-filled Club World Cup quarter-final, Chelsea edged past Brazilian giants Palmeiras with a 2-1 victory sealed by a bizarre late own goal from goalkeeper Weverton.
The match, played at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, saw Cole Palmer and Estêvão trade brilliant goals before fate cruelly intervened in the 83rd minute. Chelsea now look ahead to a blockbuster semi-final against Fluminense in New York.
[REPORT] Weverton’s Late Own Goal Sends Chelsea Past Palmeiras
Cole Palmer opened the scoring early, Estêvão dazzled with a thunderbolt equaliser, but it was a chaotic deflection off Weverton’s back from Malo Gusto’s cross that handed Chelsea a narrow 2-1 win over Palmeiras in a breathless Club World Cup quarter-final.
Why does this matter? Because this was no ordinary win.
It was a clash of energy, youth, and tactical grit—with Chelsea overcoming injuries, wasted chances, and the brilliance of their future signing to punch their ticket to the semi-finals.
😐 Classic Cole Palmer.
A man of few words, but the football speaks volumes. pic.twitter.com/nVRPpd1rZG
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) July 5, 2025
Palmer Strikes, Estêvão Answers, Drama Unfolds
Chelsea took early control despite missing Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Andrey Santos started for the first time, and Pedro Neto lit up the right wing like a fuse.
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Palmer’s 16th-minute opener was all finesse—dancing through defenders before burying a low left-footer. Palmeiras, undermanned in defense, looked shaky but exploded out of the blocks after halftime.
Estêvão, just 18 and Chelsea-bound, scored an outrageous equaliser from an impossible angle—a goal straight from a PlayStation cutscene.
Weverton’s Nightmare Moment
Just when the game seemed headed for extra time, Gusto found space down the left. His driven cross took a wild deflection off Bruno Fuchs, wrong-footing Weverton. The ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper’s back and trickled into the net.
Yes, you heard that right—Chelsea’s winner came from an accidental backspin off the keeper himself.
Numbers Tell the Real Story
Here’s how the stats stacked up:
| Key Stat | Palmeiras | Chelsea |
| Possession | 37.30% | 62.70% |
| Shots (On Target) | 7 (2) | 19 (6) |
| Touches in Opponent’s Box | 15 | 40 |
| Corners | 3 | 10 |
| Fouls Committed | 14.00 | 16 |
| Accurate Passes | 233 | 435 |
| Saves by Goalkeeper | 5 | 1 |
Chelsea dominated most metrics, especially in possession and box entries. But they nearly paid the price for missed chances—Nkunku’s horror miss in the 34th minute could’ve sealed it early.
Amit Mishra’s Thoughts
As a writer and football journalist and enthusiast:
Chelsea fans will celebrate the win, but it wasn’t polished. The Blues lacked killer instinct in front of goal, with Nkunku and others spurning golden opportunities.
The midfield still feels fragile without Caicedo and Lavia. But what they lacked in rhythm, they made up for with persistence. Palmeiras, despite their depleted backline, showed fight and flair.
Estêvão’s strike alone was worth the ticket. His performance was poetic—a future Chelsea star haunting his future employers.
Good: Chelsea’s young players keep doing well when it matters.
Bad: Scoring is a big problem—they can’t count on luck against Fluminense.
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