For the first hour at the Allianz Stadium, the stage was set for several of Chelsea's academy products to showcase their talents. Reggie Walsh and Reggie Watson, who both started in midfield roles, were particularly impressive both on and off the ball.
Landon Emenalo was another who caught the eye from an attacking left-back role. The 18 year old looked raw but showcased his undoubted talent in possession, contributing to many of the Blues attacks.
It was an end-to-end affair for much of the game, although Chelsea improved drastically with the introduction of their 'A team'.
Player of the season for 2025/26 João Pedro was one of the senior stars who came on for the final 30 minutes. In the short time he spent on the pitch, the Brazilian scored a hattrick and provided an assist for Jamie Gittens' goal.
Young players impress
At the age of just 17, Walsh has already made four senior appearances for Chelsea, in the UEFA Conference League and the EFL Cup.
He played the number 10 role against Western Sydney Wanderers, where he was noticeably involved in the press alongside Liam Delap - forming a front two out of possession. Equally, he looked very composed on the ball and linked up well with his under-18 teammate Watson.
Watson has become renowned for his set pieces during his time in Chelsea's youth teams. His ability from a dead-ball was on full display as he took corners from both sides, finding Tosin in space on more than one occasion.
He almost capped off his strong showing with a powerful freekick, however, his effort from the edge of the box curled just over the crossbar. With many players still getting up to speed, Watson was the only one to complete 90 minutes.
Reggie Watson was the only Chelsea player to complete 90 minutes. Source: Darrian Traynor - Getty Images.
Reggie Watson was the only Chelsea player to complete 90 minutes. Source: Darrian Traynor - Getty Images.
Dasan Satpaev, while not a Cobham academy product, also provided a source of optimism for the future at Chelsea. It took just six minutes for the 17 year old star from Kazakhstan to open the scoring; a composed but powerful finish at the near post after he ran onto Ryan Kavuma-McQueen's through ball.
Patterns of play
At this early stage of pre-season, the emphasis is generally more on building fitness than complex tactical setups. However, there were still signs of Xabi Alonso making his mark on the team.
Both Josh Acheampong and Tosin struggled with the pace of the game and made several defensive mistakes in the 64 minutes they played. That said, there were also a few occasions when they made good passes between the lines, finding Kavuma-McQueen and Satpaev.
The two young forwards were playing as wingers on the right and left respectively in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but did not stick to the touchline. Instead, during build up, they would move into pockets of space and offer an option to progress play quickly.
On a difficult playing surface and in a team not yet used to playing together, this worked to varying effects. However, Chelsea consistently attempted to make it work, signifying that it may be a key part of Alonso's philosophy.
If that is the case, a team containing the likes of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Estêvão in forward areas, as well as the passing range of Levi Colwill from centre-back, could be a very dangerous prospect.
Cole Palmer and Estêvão could be set for starring roles in Xabi Alonso's new system. Source: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC.
Cole Palmer and Estêvão could be set for starring roles in Xabi Alonso's new system. Source: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC.
There has been speculation surrounding the formation Alonso will play at Chelsea with many expecting the back three which he found success with at Bayer Leverkusen.
While the first pre-season friendly did not confirm the new manager's approach, it demonstrated the freedom that attackers would be given in possession.
Defensive frailties
The biggest blemishes on the performance were in defence. Both centre-backs were guilty of lacklustre defending and slow decision making, allowing their opponents far too many opportunities to score.
This did improve, as in most areas, when those expected to start frequently in the Premier League took to the field. Colwill and Wesley Fofana resumed their partnership at the base of the defence, flanked by Marco Palestra who looked exciting on debut, and Aaron Anselmino filling in at left-back.
There will likely be a chance for Alonso to see Jorrel Hato and Mamadou Sarr in action throughout the rest of this summer's pre-season tour. With some players yet to return following the World Cup, he will be able to make a better judgement of his defensive options by the end of the transfer window.
Although some of the lapses in concentration could be a cause for concern, the poor quality of the playing surface continually caused issues for players all over the pitch.
João Pedro makes the difference
The minutes were shared between the two senior strikers who travelled to Australia, with Delap playing for the first hour. Chelsea's number nine struggled to make an impact on the game, slowing the team down in attack while unable to take the chances which did fall to him.
Everything changed with the introduction of João Pedro. He, and the other attacking substitutes, looked levels above the opposition players - as well as some of their Chelsea teammates.
His first contribution came almost immediately when he drifted out wide and carried the ball past multiple players before cutting it back for Jamie Gittens, who also played with a lot of confidence on his return from injury.
The following two finishes were similar shots from just inside the box, as he proved himself to be just as clinical as he looked last season.
He completed the hattrick within nine minutes, finishing at point blank range after Fofana met Estêvão's corner.
João Pedro continued his great form from last season by scoring a hattrick from the bench. Source: Steve Christo - Corbis.
João Pedro continued his great form from last season by scoring a hattrick from the bench. Source: Steve Christo - Corbis.
There was much to appreciate from most of Chelsea's forwards, from academy prospects demonstrating their potential to players like Gittens and Estêvão who appeared to have recovered well from injuries sustained during the second half of last season.