EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca praised Cole Palmer’s ability to stand out in important matches, after the player was named the best player of the Club World Cup following Chelsea’s stylish 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the final early this morning.

“This is the kind of game we expected Cole Palmer to excel in and once again he proved his ability,” Maresca told a news conference after Palmer scored twice and provided an assist for Joao Pedro in a brilliant display against the Champions League winners.

Maresca revealed his tactical plan was a complete success, as Chelsea pressed PSG fiercely and used direct passes into the space behind the opposition defence with devastating effect.

“Our idea was to play one-on-one because if you give PSG space, they will punish you. So we tried to be aggressive and press them from the start and that intensity was very important in the first 10 minutes because the heat was extreme, it was really difficult conditions to play in,” explained Maresca.

The Italian coach also highlighted how his team managed to exploit weaknesses in PSG’s left-back, adding: “We managed to attack on the left side of their defence. Everything went well for us thanks to the players’ hard work.”

Maresca praised his lineup for executing the game plan perfectly, and their high-intensity style was a deciding factor in the scorching heat of New Jersey.

He also expressed his joy at winning the Club World Cup, which he said would be valued even higher in the future.

“I think this competition (the Club World Cup) will be as important or maybe more important than the Champions League,” Maresca said.

“I was lucky enough to be part of the coaching staff (at Manchester City) that won the Champions League three years ago, but this competition (the Club World Cup) brings together the best clubs in the world. That’s why we value it as much as the Champions League or maybe even more.

“For us, this is a great achievement. Giving Chelsea fans the opportunity to wear the world champion badge on their jersey is a great source of pride for us.”

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says Christian Norgaard will bring ‘a lot of experience’ after signing for the Gunners from Brentford.

The 31-year-old midfielder reportedly joined the club for a fee of 10 million pounds plus 2 million pounds in add-ons.

Norgaard scored 13 goals in 196 appearances for the Bees and was a pillar of Brentford’s success as a Premier League club over the past four seasons.

“We welcome Christian to Arsenal. He is a national player with a lot of experience in the Premier League.

“He has proven his leadership and strong character which will be invaluable to our squad,” Arteta said in a statement released by Arsenal.

“He is a strong midfielder and has tactical strength and versatility. He is also physically good and intelligent, which gives us added value and balance.”

Norgaard becomes Arsenal’s third signing of the transfer window after Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Arsenal are also reportedly close to signing Swedish international Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon for around £70 million.

MADRID: Atletico Madrid winger Rodrigo Riquelme has signed a contract with Real Betis until 2030.

“Atletico Madrid and Real Betis have reached an agreement for the transfer of Rodrigo Riquelme,” Atletico said in a statement without providing details about the fee for the 25-year-old Spain international.

The two teams reached an agreement last week, reportedly worth eight million euros, with half going to the player and the rest to Atletico.

Riquelme will replace 19-year-old Jesus Rodriguez, who joined Italian club Como this week for a reported fee of 25 million euros.

Riquelme’s early career began with Atletico’s youth ranks and he played for Bournemouth and Mirandes before his talents began to shine at Girona in the 2022-23 season.

He has two caps for Spain after making his debut in November 2023.

In total, he has made 85 appearances in La Liga, 13 in the Champions League and 14 in the Copa del Rey.

MIAMI, United States: One of the reasons Real Madrid ended last season without any major trophies was the sudden decline in the performance of its main striker, Vinicius Junior.

Instead of competing for the Ballon d’Or award while helping Los Blancos win the Champions League and La Liga in the 2023–24 season, the Brazilian appeared to be sinking as Madrid ended the Carlo Ancelotti era in second place behind arch-rivals Barcelona.

However, new coach Xabi Alonso is pleased to see Vinicius shine again as Madrid progress to the last 16 of the Club World Cup, where they will face Juventus early on Wednesday morning.

If Vinicius is able to perform at his best, plus Kylian Mbappe’s return after recovering from a gastrointestinal problem, Madrid are believed to have a potent enough attacking line to win the tournament.

Vinicius scored a goal and created another for Federico Valverde in a 3-0 win over Salzburg, ensuring Madrid emerged as Group H champions and avoided facing Manchester City, who are seen as the strongest team so far in the United States.

“I’m very happy because Vini, like any striker, needed that goal,” Alonso said.

Vinicius is currently in the process of negotiating a new contract with Real Madrid, with his current contract still running until 2027.

“I hope to stay here for a long time. I’ve always said this is my life and death club,” Vinicius said earlier this week.

“I’m very comfortable with the coach and all the staff here, so I hope I can stay.”

Madrid want to ensure Vinicius is compatible with Mbappe, without compromising the team’s defensive balance.

Los Blancos will face Juventus in Orlando with the hope of reaching the quarter-finals and may be strengthened by the return of Mbappe who will have the opportunity to team up with Vinicius for the first time under Alonso.

Mbappe missed all three previous group matches and was hospitalized due to acute gastroenteritis, but has returned to training as usual in the past few days.

Alonso believes the two stars can work together, although initially there were problems because they were often in the same area of ​​the field.

Mbappe finally found his rhythm and finished last season with 43 goals in all competitions, while Vinicius scored 22 goals without really reaching his best form.

“They can do it – Vini plays on the wing, Kylian more in the middle… it’s not a big problem, because there is a very high level of individual quality. What’s important is that the team works,” Alonso explained.

LONDON: Marcus Rashford has made it clear he wants to link up with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal at Barcelona as he continues to push for a move away from Manchester United.

Rashford has reportedly been interested in joining Barcelona for a long time and his brother, who acts as his agent, Dwaine Maynard, held talks with Barcelona sporting director Deco in Spain last month over a potential £40 million transfer.

But with Barcelona now turning their attention to Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams, the England striker has taken the plunge by meeting Spanish influencer Javi Ruiz in Marbella.

When asked if he would like to play alongside Yamal one day, Rashford replied: “Of course I would. Everyone wants to play with the best players. Hopefully… we’ll see.”

Rashford’s hopes of staying at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim look slim after a reported disagreement and his priority is now a move to Spain.

“Spain is an interesting place and not too far from home,” Rashford told the YouTuber.

“If I train here for a long period, it’s good because my family can come and visit for a few days – the flight only takes three hours. The weather is also good here.”

Deco has previously publicly stated that Barcelona are “interested” in Rashford, as well as also holding an interest in Liverpool winger Luis Diaz.

He then met with Maynard at a hotel in Barcelona to discuss the basic terms of a potential transfer.

Rashford, who still has three years left on his contract at Old Trafford, is not expected to play again for his boyhood club as long as Amorim remains manager.

United are now looking to offload the £315,000-a-week wage burden they are shouldering for Rashford, especially after he spent half of last season on loan at Aston Villa.

The club are willing to listen to offers of around £40 million.

However, Rashford’s dream of a move to Barcelona could be thwarted as the Catalan club are now accelerating their pursuit of Williams.

Barcelona have reportedly reached personal terms with the Spanish winger.