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Alonso starts with 6-4
Xabi Alonso began his Chelsea tenure with a 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers at Stadium Australia, with Brazilian striker Joao Pedro scoring a late nine-minute hat-trick to secure the win.
“For an hour in Sydney, Liam Delap was one of just a few established Chelsea players in a youthful team for the Blues' latest pre-season commitment”
Chelsea came from behind three times in the see-sawing match, after Kazakh 17-year-old Dastan Satpaev scored in the sixth minute and Portugal youth international Dario Essugo made it 2-2.
The Sydney side then went 3-2 and 4-3 ahead in the second half before Pedro’s heroics, and Alonso said, "I think it has been a very useful friendly that we can learn a lot from."
Alonso, who took over on July 1, played 60 minutes with a side full of youth and used a 4-2-3-1 formation with Josh Acheampong, Liam Delap and Tosin Adarabioyo providing experience for a group of youngsters.
The match also set up a quick next test, with Chelsea facing London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the same venue on Saturday, after further friendlies in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Strikers, youth, and pitch
The game highlighted a contrast between Chelsea’s attacking surge and defensive vulnerabilities, as the score swung five times and the hosts repeatedly exploited a jittery back line.
Joao Pedro’s hat-trick was framed as a response to being left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad, and BBC described Alonso’s first match as "a tale of four strikers".
Alonso praised Pedro’s mentality after the comeback, saying, "He [Pedro] is very hungry. He is really, really determined to have a great season."
In the build-up to the match, Nine.au reported that visiting British journalists complained about the pitch at Accor Stadium, with BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella saying, "Great stadium, not a great pitch," and The Telegraph’s Sam Dean writing, "No injuries on a dodgy pitch is probably the biggest victory for the new manager."
Chelsea’s youthful midfield also drew attention, with Reggie Watson the only player to complete 90 minutes and Watson’s set-piece work described as finding Tosin in space on more than one occasion.
Transfer talk and next steps
Beyond the friendly, the match fed into Chelsea’s wider squad planning, with BBC noting that Delap could now be sold as Chelsea advanced talks to sign Danny Welbeck, 35, as an experienced replacement.
“Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso got his reign off to a winning start on Tuesday in a dramatic 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers, with Brazilian striker Joao Pedro scoring a late nine-minute hat-trick to ensure victory”
BBC also reported that Alonso said, "We need balance, to have a complete squad and make a good team," when asked about signing older players, with injured Emmanuel Emegha and Nicolas Jackson also on the books.
Football365’s coverage of the wider market said Man Utd would not make a late offer for Danny Welbeck, while The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell wrote that "United are also looking at the market for a striker to share the load with Benjamin Sesko."
FourFourTwo described Chelsea as seeking to supplement their forward line with the addition of 35-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck, and said the pursuit was reportedly advanced after initial positive conversations.
With Alonso’s first televised game already producing a nine-minute hat-trick moment for Pedro, the sources also pointed to a fast turnaround, with Chelsea set to meet Tottenham Hotspur at the same venue before further friendlies in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
