Overview
- Chelsea beat Real Sociedad 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to conclude pre-season and give manager Xabi Alonso a morale-boosting finale.
- Morgan Rogers scored on his Chelsea debut 11 minutes in to open the scoring and show early impact after his high-profile move.
- João Pedro scored twice in the second half to restore and then extend Chelsea’s lead, finishing with a brace that secured the win.
- Alonso received a warm, emotional reception from supporters as he fielded his preferred 3-4-3 for a third straight game while reintegrating players such as Reece James and Maxence Lacroix after World Cup duty.
- With nine days before the Premier League opener at Fulham, Chelsea return to Cobham to work on defensive cohesion and fitness, and the performance gives Alonso a clearer picture of his attacking shape and remaining adjustments.