Xabi Alonso has won his first pre-season game in charge of Chelsea, however was clearly not fully pleased with what he saw from his players against Western Sydney Warriors.
Chelsea were 6-4 victors in a game where the new manager had the chance to take a look at plenty of the players he currently has available for him.
Despite goals from Dastan Satpayev and Dario Essugo, there were concerns about Chelsea until they brought on their big hitters, with Joao Pedro scoring a rapid hat-trick.
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Xabi Alonso demanded more from Chelsea players during pre-season win
Alonso cut an energetic figure on the touchline throughout the game as he looks to get instructions to the players for what he wants from his side.
During the coverage on CFC+, the Spaniard could be heard frequently shouting at his players to push up higher, hinting that he wants his squad to be pressing from the front.
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This was largely happening when Satpayev and Liam Delap were leading the line, as they looked to strike up an early relationship following the youngster’s arrival.
Pressing high up the pitch was certainly a part of Enzo Maresca’s style of play, however the Italian was far more obsessed with control when in possession.
Despite it being early days, this was already a sign that Chelsea are looking to attack quicker than before, and this style of play really came to fruition after the subs were made.
Jamie Gittens, who has already found the net in behind-closed-doors friendlies, scored off the bench, and frequently looked dangerous when attacking down the left.
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A hat-trick in his first game under Alonso!
He was often found with long balls, allowing Chelsea to bypass the midfield of their opponents and get the Blues into attacking areas quickly.
Pressing from the front will go perfectly alongside an ambition to attack quickly, and is a sign that the manager is looking to change the way the Blues play.
This will be put under far more scrutiny in the rest of their pre-season fixtures, starting with a fixture against Tottenham on Saturday.
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