3 winners and 3 losers as chaotic 3-3 Johor draw exposes Xabi Alonso’s pre-season dilemma
Chelsea ended the Asian leg of their pre-season with plenty for Xabi Alonso to consider after a chaotic 3-3 draw with Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia.
Liam Delap scored twice from the penalty spot and Chelsea needed an 89th-minute own goal to avoid defeat, having fallen behind three times against the Malaysian champions.
The circumstances provided important context. Alonso changed his entire starting XI less than 24 hours after Chelsea beat AC Milan 3-0, with several academy players and fringe members of the squad given an opportunity.
There were encouraging individual performances despite the defensive problems. Here are three winners and three losers from Chelsea’s final game in Asia.
It was not a perfect centre-forward performance, but Delap left Malaysia with two more goals next to his name.
The striker won Chelsea’s first penalty himself before confidently converting it. When Jamie Gittens earned another spot-kick after the interval, Delap again took responsibility and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
ReadChelsea carried footage of Delap’s first equaliser against Johor, and his involvement did not end there.
His header towards goal also played a part in Chelsea’s late equaliser, which eventually went in off a Johor defender.
There were still moments when Delap’s general play could have been sharper, but a striker competing for his place cannot complain about scoring twice.
Gittens did not score, but his directness gave Johor problems.
Alonso used him in an unusually deep role on the left, yet the winger continued to look for opportunities to attack his opponent whenever Chelsea moved forward.
His most important contribution came after half-time when he drove into the penalty area and drew the foul which allowed Delap to make it 2-1.
Gittens has been productive throughout the summer and once again offered the kind of direct running Chelsea need when possession becomes slow.
Even without a goal or assist officially credited to him, this was another useful afternoon.
Watson did not need long to make an impression.
The 16-year-old entered a difficult game and looked comfortable competing physically against senior opposition. Chelsea supporters also enjoyed his reaction to the late equaliser, when he immediately celebrated in front of the Johor defender involved in the own goal.
It was a small moment, but one which showed the competitive personality Watson has displayed throughout the tour.
Chelsea have already given him regular exposure to first-team football despite his age. His performances this summer suggest Alonso has been right to keep looking at him.
This was an uncomfortable afternoon for Chelsea’s most experienced defender.
Johor were happy to allow Chelsea possession before attacking quickly whenever the ball changed hands. That repeatedly exposed the space around the Blues’ back three, with the post-match report highlighting how dangerous Johor were on the counter.
Tosin was not responsible for every defensive problem, but he was the senior figure in a back line which conceded three times.
With competition for defensive places increasing, Alonso will want greater control from one of the most experienced players in his squad.
Estêvão has produced enough during pre-season to remain one of Chelsea’s most exciting attacking options, but this was a quieter afternoon.
Chelsea dominated possession for long periods without creating enough from open play, with both of their first two goals eventually coming from penalties.
Estêvão started in an advanced role alongside Jackson and Delap but struggled to consistently influence the game in dangerous areas.
One quiet friendly should not change the wider picture around the Brazilian. However, with Pedro Neto, Geovany Quenda and others competing for attacking places, every opportunity matters.
This was one he did not fully take.
Anselmino is included through bad luck rather than performance.
The Argentine defender was forced off during the first half after picking up an injury, cutting short another opportunity to impress Alonso.
Reports after the game also revealed Mamadou Sarr had suffered a problem before kick-off, making it a difficult afternoon for Chelsea’s younger centre-backs.
Anselmino has spent much of the past two seasons trying to build momentum through different loan spells. Another injury is therefore the last thing he needed during a summer in which Chelsea are assessing the make-up of their defence.
The severity of the problem will now determine whether the draw with Johor becomes merely an unfortunate interruption or something more significant.
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