Chelsea’s smartest summer addition may not have been a player
Chelsea’s set pieces provided one of the clearest signs of progress in Saturday’s 3-0 win over AC Milan, with two of the Blues’ three goals arriving directly from corners.
João Pedro headed Chelsea in front from Moisés Caicedo’s delivery before Romeo Lavia’s second-half corner produced Caicedo’s spectacular third.
It was only a pre-season friendly, but the routines offered an early glimpse of the influence Austin MacPhee could have after joining Xabi Alonso’s coaching staff this summer.
Austin MacPhee is arguably the most stunning signing of the summer, with Chelsea paying a fee to land Aston Villa's set-piece coach.
He is among the new breed of coaches who are rock stars in their own right, taking centre-stage since rules were changed so that only one person… pic.twitter.com/KMYLRKzmA6
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) August 6, 2026
Chelsea had been patient for much of the opening half before finding their breakthrough from a dead ball.
Caicedo delivered the corner and Pedro found enough space inside the penalty area to power his header home shortly before half-time.
The third goal was considerably less conventional.
Lavia’s corner was worked towards Caicedo outside the penalty area, allowing the midfielder to meet the ball first time with the outside of his boot and curl an excellent effort beyond the goalkeeper.
ReadChelsea’s match report from the 3-0 victory over AC Milan highlighted both moments as Chelsea produced their most convincing performance of pre-season.
Fresh reporting after the game has also placed the spotlight on MacPhee. The Sun reports that Chelsea’s two set-piece goals reflected work carried out by the former Aston Villa specialist, who joined Alonso’s staff earlier this summer.
The sample size is small, but the early signs are difficult to ignore.
Austin MacPhee gives Chelsea another route to goal
MacPhee arrived at Chelsea with an established reputation for producing effective attacking routines.
ReadChelsea covered his move from Aston Villa in July, after five years working with Villa under several different managers.
His teams have regularly found ways to create chances without simply relying on height.
Movement, blocks and unexpected delivery areas became important parts of Villa’s approach, and Chelsea’s third goal against Milan offered an early example of that variety.
The Blues did not load the six-yard box and wait for someone to win a header. Instead, the routine created space for one of their best ball-strikers outside the penalty area.
That matters over a full season.
Chelsea will face plenty of opponents willing to sit deep and restrict space around their penalty area. Matches like those can often be decided by one corner or free-kick rather than an intricate passing move.
MacPhee gives Alonso another way of finding that breakthrough.
Chelsea can turn a weakness into an advantage
There was room for improvement from set pieces last season.
The Sun reports that Chelsea ranked only 11th for goals scored from set plays and 12th defensively, leaving obvious scope for improvement under the new coaching structure.
Alonso already has the personnel to make better use of dead balls.
Pedro showed against Milan that he can attack deliveries aggressively, while Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, Josh Acheampong and Chelsea’s other defenders provide further targets.
Caicedo and Lavia also showed that the threat does not always need to come from inside the penalty area.
Pre-season routines will inevitably be tested far more severely once competitive football begins.
Two goals against Milan cannot prove Chelsea have solved their set-piece problems.
They can, however, provide the first evidence that MacPhee’s work is already beginning to translate onto the pitch.
For a Chelsea side looking for marginal gains under Alonso, that could become an important weapon.
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Watch Chelsea vs AC Milan highlights
Watch Chelsea vs AC Milan highlights
£58m Chelsea star finally ends remarkable three-year wait
£58m Chelsea star finally ends remarkable three-year wait