Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso believes his side’s entertaining 6-4 pre-season win over Western Sydney Wanderers will prove valuable as they continue to prepare for the new campaign.
The Blues made a winning start to their Sydney Super Cup campaign in Alonso’s first match in charge, although the Spaniard admitted there were periods where his team struggled to cope with their opponents’ pressing.
Dastan Satpayev gave Chelsea an early lead before the Wanderers hit back with two goals. Dario Essugo restored parity before half-time, while Jamie Gittens and a nine-minute hat-trick from Joao Pedro helped Chelsea pull away after the break.
Despite the victory, Alonso felt the match highlighted areas his side must improve.
“I think this friendly is going to be very useful for the future,” Alonso said.
“There were moments in the game where we were struggling to find solutions, and we needed to experience that.
“The positive is that we corrected them, but these moments of game management are something we can learn from.
“When they were pressing so high, it was difficult to find solutions through the middle. We need a better understanding of what is happening and be able to make changes during the game because it’s something we’ll face often.
“The more situations we experience where we struggle and then find solutions, the better team we will become.”
Alonso hails academy talent
Alonso also highlighted the positives from the opening fixture of Chelsea’s tour, with several academy players featuring alongside established first-team stars.
“There were no injuries, the young players gained valuable experience by coming on tour and playing minutes, and the senior players made a good impact when they came on,” he added.
“It was an exciting game for the fans as well.”
Romeo Lavia was the only senior player in the matchday squad not to feature, with Alonso revealing the midfielder was left out as a precaution after feeling discomfort in his hamstring.
“He felt something in his hamstring,” Alonso explained.
“It’s nothing serious and we’re hopeful he’ll be fit for Saturday against Tottenham. There was no point taking any risks today, which is why Reggie Watson played the full 90 minutes and did well.”
