A nine-minute Joao Pedro hat-trick added to goals from Dastan Satpayev, Dario Essugo and Jamie Gittens as the Blues began our pre-season tour campaign with an entertaining 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
The game at Accor Stadium was Xabi Alonso's first in the Chelsea dugout, and it was certainly an entertaining 90 minutes. Satpayev opened the scoring for the Blues after just five minutes before Wanderers equalised and then went ahead. However, a neat Dario Essugo finish ensured the game was level at the interval.
In the second period, Western Sydney re-established their lead. Yet the introduction of several first-team regulars just after the hour mark ensured the Blues powered home to victory. Jamie Gittens scored our third goal of the game before Joao Pedro stepped up with an impressive treble to ensure a winning start on tour.
Next comes Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
There was a blend of first-team experience and youthful exuberance in the starting XI named by Alonso. Teddy Sharman-Lowe started in goal behind a back four of Tayo Subuloye, Josh Acheampong, Tosin and Landon Emanalo.
Sixteen-year-old Reggie Watson started in midfield alongside Essugo, while Walsh occupied the No.10 role. The frontline consisted of Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Satpayev and Liam Delap.
The opening half was one of many chances – and the first of significance resulted in the Blues going ahead. A neat spell of possession inside our own defensive third saw the ball move through Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong and Subuloye, before Kavuma-McQueen collected a pass and spun away from pressure.
He spotted the run of Satpayev and slipped the ball into the Wanderers half. The Kazakh forward raced onto the pass, advanced into the penalty area and rifled a finish beyond Jordan Holmes.
A second was almost quickly added, as Kavuma-McQueen intercepted a pass on the edge of the penalty area, received the ball back from Delap, and whipped a shot toward the far corner. Holmes reacted well, though, and pushed the attempt over.
Sharman-Lowe was next called into action, with the Chelsea goalkeeper having to produce an excellent reaction stop to push wide an attempt from Liam Gillion. However, from the resultant corner, Brandon Borrello flicked on a header at the near post and Anthony Pantazopoulos turned the ball home to equalise.
From the restart, there was another quick exchange of opportunities. Walsh forced another good save from Holmes with a powerful attempt from 20 yards; Borrello curled a shot over the crossbar for Wanderers from the edge of the area.
Delap and Satpayev then drilled efforts over as the Blues pushed to retake the lead. Yet it was Western Sydney who scored the third goal of the game as Hammond tricked his way beyond Acheampong and fired a near-post shot beyond Sharman-Lowe.
Only six minutes were required for the Blues to restore parity – and it was a fine equaliser. Satpayev moved the ball inside to Essugo, who played a wonderful one-two with Walsh on the edge of the penalty area before sweeping a finish into the far corner.
In the time that remained before the half-time break, Delap forced another good stop from Holmes and a Watson corner found Tosin free at the back post, but the Blues defender could only guide his close-range header wide.
There were two changes made by Alonso at the break: Omari Kellyman was introduced for Kavuma-McQueen and Sydney-born Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli replaced Essugo.
The flow of chances did not slow in the second period, and the first we fashioned was a good one. The impressive Watson was the creator, as he advanced and slipped a pass through to Emanalo, who took a touch but could only drill his shot wide.
On the hour mark, Wanderers re-established their lead as an attempted Emanalo clearance ricochetted into the path of Dylan Scicluna, and he shifted the ball onto his left foot and fired home. As the celebrations unfolded, Alonso introduced nine players from his substitutes' bench.
Robert Sanchez, Marco Palestra, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Aaron Anselmino, Estevao, Cole Palmer, Gittens and Joao Pedro were all brought on.
Our threat in the final third immediately increased. Gittens was denied by a smart stop from Tristan Vidackovic, but the winger quickly got on the scoresheet as Joao Pedro moved his way through three challenges and cut the ball back for the England Under-21 international to finish.
A short quiet spell followed before the game burst back into life. Awan Lual scored Wanderers' fourth goal of the contest, taking advantage of a slack moment of play from Estevao, but Joao Pedro equalised almost immediately, as he produced a composed finish from just inside the penalty box.
Ten minutes remained. It felt inevitable there would be at least another goal. It soon arrived and went the way of the Blues. Palestra and Estevao were involved in the build-up before Palmer curled a pass through to Joao Pedro, who showcased his trademark composure to finish well from 18 yards.
The Brazilian wasn't done, though. From an Estevao corner, a header toward goal from Fofana was blocked, and Joao Pedro was on hand to complete a nine-minute hat-trick and, finally, round off the scoring.
What comes next...
The Blues return to the Accor Stadium on Saturday, as we take on London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The game begins at 10.45am (UK time) and once again will be shown live on CFC+, with all six of our pre-season matches available for the price of £14.99 per year with an annual subscription to CFC+.
The teams
Chelsea: Sharman-Lowe (Sanchez 63), Subuloye (Palestra 63), Acheampong (Fofana 63), Tosin (c) (Colwill 63), Emenalo (Anselmino 63); Watson, Essugo (Nicoll-Jazuli 46); Kavuma-McQueen (Kellyman 46, Estevao 63), Walsh (Palmer 63), Satpayev (Gittens 63); Delap (Joao Pedro 63)
Chelsea substitutes: Curd, Diakite, Lavia
Goalscorers: Satpayev 6, Essugo 38, Gittens 66, Joao Pedro 80, 85, 89
Western Sydney Wanderers: Holmes (Vidackovic 46), Gersbach (Morrison 70), Pantazopoulos (Fransen 64), Ferreyra (Barrie 45), Madanha (Katrib 64), Scicluna (Ugarkovic 64), Thurgate (Rose 68), Di Pizio (Carluccio 64), Gillon (Waraga 46), Borrello (Lual 64), Hammond (Milanovic 46)
Western Sydney Wanderers substitutes: Thomas, Abdul-Rahman, Cetinic, Hassarati, Savic
Goalscorers: Pantazopoulos 14, Hammond 32**,** Scicluna 62, Lual 78