Chelsea 3-1 Real Sociedad: Morgan Rogers scores as Xabi Alonso’s Blues finish pre-season with a win
Chelsea ended their pre-season campaign in impressive fashion with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.
The result gave Xabi Alonso a positive final look at his squad before the serious business begins. After spending much of the summer preparing his players for a new tactical approach, the performance offered plenty of encouragement.
Chelsea started with intent and quickly put pressure on their visitors. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring after reacting quickest to a rebound, giving the home side an early advantage.
Real Sociedad refused to simply sit back, though. The Spanish side gradually grew into the match and managed to find an equaliser before half-time. The goal changed the mood slightly, but Chelsea did not allow it to derail their performance.
After the break, the Blues came out with renewed energy. João Pedro restored Chelsea’s lead following a well-delivered ball from Reece James, and the goal immediately gave the home side greater confidence.
Chelsea continued to create opportunities and looked increasingly dangerous in the final third. João Pedro eventually found the net again, completing his brace and putting the result beyond serious doubt.
What will probably please Alonso most is that Chelsea continued to attack even after taking the lead. Rather than becoming passive, they kept searching for another goal and eventually got their reward.
There were still moments when Real Sociedad created problems, but Chelsea looked capable of dealing with them. The defensive organisation was not perfect, yet the overall performance was encouraging.
The 3-1 win is exactly the kind of result Chelsea would have wanted before the start of competitive football. Alonso now has a clearer idea of his strongest options, while the players can take confidence from finishing pre-season with a convincing victory.
Chelsea fans will now be hoping the positive signs continue when the points begin to matter.
