Chelsea’s Scary 2-1 Escape: Mikel Praises Two, Slams One

Chelsea edged past Palmeiras 2-1 in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal, but the win didn’t come without sharp words from a club legend. John Obi Mikel, the former Blues midfielder, had plenty to say after the narrow victory. He praised two rising stars but didn’t hold back when pointing out what went wrong in the second half.

Mikel spoke after the game on DAZN, where he gave credit to Malo Gusto and Palmeiras’ young talent, Estêvão Willian. At just 18, Estêvão stood out on a big stage and gave Chelsea real problems.

“He is a really good player. Fantastic player with a great left foot,” Mikel said, clearly impressed by the teenager.

“He likes to whip in the crosses early and he can dribble past players. He looks sharp and hungry like he wanted to prove something and he did that today,” Mikel added.

Estêvão did just that. His goal in the 53rd minute tied the match at 1-1 after Chelsea had taken the lead in the first half through Cole Palmer. The equalizer came at a time when Chelsea looked lost and unorganized. Palmeiras came out strong in the second half, and it showed.

But Chelsea were lucky. Just minutes after conceding, they were handed a gift. Agustín Giay, a Palmeiras defender, accidentally scored an own goal. That mistake helped Chelsea reclaim the lead, and they managed to hold on until the final whistle.

Even though the result favored the Blues, Mikel was not pleased with what he saw in the second half. He highlighted the poor performance of goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, especially on Estêvão’s goal.

“The goalkeeper won’t want to see that again (the goal). We have some awful goalkeeping today. The Palmeiras goal as well, Sánchez should have done a lot better,” Mikel said, clearly frustrated.

Mikel didn’t sugarcoat anything. He was honest about Chelsea’s shaky display after halftime and even called it “worrying.”

“Yes, it was very worrying. We started very sloppy. We didn’t start the second half really well,” he said.

He also pointed out that Palmeiras looked poor in the first half but changed their game after the break.

“Palmeiras, in the first, were very poor, but they did come out in the second half. They became more aggressive and started winning everything, and we sort of played into their hands,” Mikel explained.

He admitted that Chelsea was lucky to walk away with the win.

“They got the goal, which they started to dominate the game. And of course, we were so lucky with that goal to put us 2-1 up,” he said.

Malo Gusto, who had faced criticism in recent weeks, got rare praise from Mikel. The right-back was active and sharp throughout the match, showing energy and creativity from the back.

“He was really good. He was everywhere. He sometimes drifts into midfield,” Mikel said.

“But this man (Gusto), he had a really good game. Sometimes we question his performances but today he was absolutely fantastic,” he added.

Chelsea will now move on to face Brazilian giants Fluminense FC in the semifinals. They hope to continue their journey toward a second FIFA Club World Cup trophy. But if they want to lift the title again, Mikel made it clear—they’ll need to fix the problems that showed up in the second half.

The Blues started well but faded badly. The team’s energy dropped, their passes became loose, and their defense seemed unsure. If not for Giay’s own goal, the result could’ve gone very differently.

Fans watching the game were split. Many praised Palmer and Gusto for their efforts, while others echoed Mikel’s concerns. On social media, reactions were mixed, with some calling it “a lucky escape.”

Even though Chelsea won, the result raised questions about the team’s consistency. Can they maintain their lead under pressure? Can Sánchez recover from a tough outing?

This game offered more than just goals. It gave fans a closer look at future stars like Estêvão and reminded Chelsea that talent alone isn’t enough.

With the semifinals ahead, the team needs to be sharper. Fluminense will bring a different challenge, and they won’t give away goals as easily as Palmeiras did.

Chelsea’s young squad has potential. But as Mikel pointed out, potential means nothing without full focus. The second-half slip could’ve cost them everything. Now, they’ve got another shot—this time, they’ll need to do better.