Chelsea 6-4 Western Sydney Wanderers: Highlights, man of the match as Joao Pedro shows Brazil what they missed in Alonso's first game

Joao Pedro netted a quickfire hat-trick arsenic Xabi Alonso started his Chelsea tenure with an entertaining 6-4 triumph implicit Western Sydney Wanderers astatine Accor Stadium.

A youthful-looking Chelsea lineup scored doubly successful a archetypal fractional that finished each quadrate astatine 2 goals apiece.

Dastan Satpaev, who volition officially go a Chelsea subordinate erstwhile helium turns 18 adjacent month, scored the extremity of the half, rounding disconnected a slick, passing determination that started with goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe.

Alonso resisted the impulse to present Chelsea's established stars astatine the break, but his broadside were 3-2 down by the clip helium introduced the likes of Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer conscionable past the hr mark. 

An breathtaking decorativeness saw Chelsea level and autumn down earlier Pedro took implicit the spotlight to nett a nine-minute hat-trick, sending a connection to Brazil brag Carlo Ancelotti, who decided not to instrumentality the guardant to the World Cup.

More importantly for Chelsea, Pedro's objective show ensures the Alonso epoch got disconnected to a winning start. 

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SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Alonso opted to commencement the contention with a backmost 4 alternatively than the backmost 3 helium truthful often utilized during his occurrence astatine Bayer Leverkusen. 

It remains to beryllium seen whether that is simply a wide motion of however his squad volition acceptable up this season, oregon whether Alonso is choosing it arsenic the champion strategy for the players helium presently has astatine his disposal. 

No substance what enactment helium settles on, the erstwhile Real Madrid brag volition request to spot his squad amended defensively successful what was a shaky show astatine the back.

There was overmuch much to beryllium encouraged by astatine the other extremity of the pitch, adjacent earlier Pedro entered the fray.

Satpaev, Walsh and Kavuma McQueen each made utile contributions to show Chelsea inactive person plentifulness of breathtaking younker endowment successful their ranks astatine a clip erstwhile they look to beryllium chasing the acquisition of Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck. 

Gittens besides produced a agleam show successful his substitute appearance, linking up nicely with his teammates and showing a willigness to bushed his marker, which offers anticipation that helium tin make into a invaluable first-team subordinate contempt struggling successful his archetypal play astatine Stamford Bridge. 

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CHELSEA VS. WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS HIGHLIGHTS

Satpaev extremity vs. Wanderers (6th min, Chelsea 1-0 Wanderers)

Our archetypal extremity of 26/27! ?

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 28, 2026

Chelsea fans volition privation to spot much goals similar this during the 2026-27 season. The Blues flight Western Sydney's precocious property with a bid of quick, close passes that unfastened the abstraction for Ryan Kavuma McQueen to nonstop Dastan Satpaev racing successful down with an inch-perfect ball. The Kazakhstan planetary rifles a fierce changeable successful astatine the adjacent station to use the finishing touches to an incisive move. 

Pantazopoulos extremity vs. Chelsea (14th min, Chelsea 1-1 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Anthony Pantazopoulos responds for the Australian side, steering a header successful astatine the acold station aft Brandon Borello flicked connected the near-post corner. 

Hammond extremity vs. Chelsea (32nd min, Chelsea 1-2 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Wanderers instrumentality the lead. Aydan Hammond picks up the shot connected the borderline of the box, flicks it past his marker and slots it successful astatine the adjacent post. 

Essugo extremity vs. Wanderers (38th min, Chelsea 2-2 Wanderers)

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 28, 2026

Essugo nets the 4th extremity of the archetypal period. The midfield exchanges a neat one-two with Reggie Walsh to make the abstraction to changeable a debased changeable beyond the outstretched goalkeeper. 

Scicluna extremity vs. Chelsea (62nd min, Chelsea 2-3 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Landon Emenalo's blocked clearance ricochets into the way of Dylan Scicluna, who shifts the shot onto his near ft and sends a controlled decorativeness retired of Teddy Sharman-Lowe's reach. 

Gittens extremity vs. Wanderers (66th min, Chelsea 3-3 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Chelsea level the scoreline conscionable moments aft Alonso makes sweeping changes, including the instauration of Joao Pedro and Gittens. The erstwhile evaded a mates of defenders connected the near flank earlier driving into the container to tee Gittens up for a debased decorativeness beyond Tristan Vidackovic. 

Lual extremity vs. Chelsea (78th min, Chelsea 3-4 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Western Sydney retake the pb aft Chelsea springiness the shot heavy wrong their ain half. Jarrod Caluccio feeds the shot to Lual, who steers it past Robert Sanchez to nett the seventh extremity of an entertaining encounter. 

Pedro extremity vs. Wanderers (80th min, Chelsea 4-4 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Chelsea rapidly reconstruct parity. Pedro latches onto a mediocre antiaircraft header from Gittens's lofted transverse and curls a debased changeable successful the bottommost country to get his archetypal of the evening.

Pedro extremity vs. Wanderers (85th min, Chelsea 5-4 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Pedro finds himself successful abstraction connected the borderline of the container aft collecting Cole Palmer's pinpoint pass. The Brazilian checks backmost to evade a situation and past fires location with a composed strike. 

Pedro extremity vs. Wanderers (89th min, Chelsea 6-4 Wanderers)

— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) July 28, 2026

Pedro has his hat-trick. Wesley Fofana heads the shot towards extremity aft gathering a heavy corner. The shot breaks kindly for Pedro to scramble location his 3rd extremity of the evening. 

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MAN OF THE MATCH - JOAO PEDRO

It tin sometimes beryllium hard to grant a Man of the Match grant successful pre-season friendlies erstwhile the minutes are dispersed retired crossed the squad, but Pedro was comfortably the standout subordinate contempt lone being introduced successful the 63rd minute.

The Brazilian provided the assistance for Gittens's extremity earlier helium netted a nine-minute hat-trick to occurrence Chelsea to a triumph that seemed improbable astatine aggregate stages of the contest. 

While the level of hostile should beryllium taken into account, Pedro's match-winning show whitethorn permission Brazilian fans with a consciousness of what could person been aft his World Cup admission. 

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CHELSEA VS. WANDERERS MATCH STATS

Possession: Chelsea 57%-43% Wanderers

Shots: Chelsea 23-16 Wanderers

Shots connected target: Chelsea 12-8 Wanderers

Corners: Chelsea 9-3 Wanderers

Fouls: Chelsea 9-12 Wanderers

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WHAT NEXT?

Chelsea volition stay successful Sydney for Saturday's affable against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

They volition past caput to Asia for games against Juventus, AC Milan and Johor DT earlier wrapping up their pre-season docket with a crippled against Real Sociedad astatine Stamford Bridge connected August 15. 

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