Chelsea wrapped up their pre‑season schedule with a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad, a match that gave manager Xabi Alonso a chance to showcase the shape he may adopt for the club’s Premier League debut against Fulham. The game was a mixed bag for the Blues, offering both promising signs and lingering questions about the team’s future direction. For the third consecutive friendly, Alonso deployed a back three, echoing the 3‑4‑3 system that brought him a Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024. The formation saw the British‑record signing Morgan Rogers and French defender Maxence Lacroix make their first appearances for Chelsea.
Rogers made an immediate impact, slotting home a simple finish inside the opening ten minutes. Despite the early lead, Chelsea struggled to impose themselves in the first half. Their defensive block sat too deep, and the side failed to press the LaLiga opposition effectively.
Real Sociedad took advantage of the lack of urgency, earning a deserved equaliser before the break when Jon Mikel Aramburu unleashed a superb volley after forcing goalkeeper Robert Sánchez into a series of saves. Alonso made no changes at halftime, and the second half was markedly different.
The Blues pushed higher up the pitch, applied a coordinated press, and began to dominate possession. Within two minutes of the restart, João Pedro headed home from a Reece James cross, and later in the half he added his seventh pre‑season goal with a composed finish.
The attacking spark was evident, but the afternoon’s narrative was also shaped by the reaction to Enzo Fernández’s introduction. The Argentine midfielder entered the game in the 62nd minute to a chorus of boos from a segment of the crowd, a response linked to recent transfer speculation linking him with Manchester City.
At the same time, other supporters rose to sing his name, creating a split atmosphere that underscored the divided sentiment surrounding the player. Beyond the on‑field events, the match provided a snapshot of the transfer market rumblings around Chelsea. Sky Sports reporters Lyall Thomas and Kaveh Solhekol noted interest from Marseille and Benfica in centre‑back Tosin, who was omitted from the squad for the Sociedad fixture.
Strikers Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson are also expected to depart within the next fortnight after missing the friendly, while winger Mykhailo Mudryk may be sent out on loan and Pedro Neto is another candidate for a move away from Stamford Bridge. Alonso’s tactical evolution has been evident throughout the pre‑season.
After experimenting with a 4‑2‑3‑1 in the first three games, he switched to a 3‑4‑3 against AC Milan, a match that produced a convincing 3‑0 victory and appears to be his preferred setup for the opening league encounter. The 3‑4‑3 at Stamford Bridge demonstrated a fluidity that sometimes resembled a four‑man defence: Moises Caicedo dropped deep to collect the ball, while Wesley Fofana drifted wide on the right. Wing‑backs Pedro Neto and Marco Palaestra were effectively tucked into a back five, allowing inside forwards Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer to operate in more advanced positions. This hybrid approach suited Maxence Lacroix, who has already shown comfort in a central defensive role after his time at Crystal Palace.
The first half highlighted the system’s vulnerabilities. Sitting too low, Chelsea struggled to close the distance when attempting to press, leaving large gaps that Sociedad exploited. After the interval, the team raised its line, compressed the midfield, and forced the Spanish side into a higher defensive block. The back three began to dominate the half‑way line, while the wing‑backs pressed aggressively, pushing the opposition wingers back and creating space for the forwards.
While the formation is still a work in progress, Alonso has demonstrated the flexibility to revert to a traditional back four if required. Even with a flurry of second‑half substitutions, the back three remained intact, suggesting that the manager values the defensive stability it provides while still seeking the right balance between width and central solidity. Enzo Fernández’s reception was particularly noteworthy. Less than 24 hours after Manchester City missed Chelsea’s self‑imposed 5 p.m.
deadline to submit a bid, the Argentine entered the pitch to a mixed chorus of boos and cheers. It is now widely expected that Fernández will stay at Chelsea for the 2026/27 campaign, despite rumors linking him with Real Madrid—a club he admitted in April he would love to join someday, a comment that briefly saw him dropped from the first team. The boos may have stemmed from fans’ frustration over his potential departure, the recent World Cup drama involving Argentina, or simply the emotional intensity of a pre‑season friendly.
Regardless of the noise, the crowd’s mood shifted as the match progressed. By the final minutes, the chanting had turned supportive, with fans singing “Oh Enzo Fernández” in unison, indicating that his on‑field contributions still resonate with many supporters. Fernández remains a pivotal figure in Alonso’s plans, and his performances will be crucial in winning over any lingering skeptics. João Pedro, meanwhile, has entered the new season in scorching form.
After a disappointing World Cup omission, he has responded with seven goals in five pre‑season outings, cementing his status as Chelsea’s primary striker—though this is partly a reflection of the limited attacking options available. The absence of Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap, both of whom were omitted amid speculation about their futures, left Pedro as the sole recognised forward for Alonso to rely on. Veteran striker Danny Welbeck also missed the match, further underscoring the need for depth up front. The potential exits of Delap and Jackson raise strategic questions about Chelsea’s recruitment policy.
While Jackson contributed significantly during Cole Palmer’s peak seasons, the club’s transfer activity has yet to fully address the shortage of proven goal‑scorers. If the departures materialise, the Blues will need to identify new targets or promote from within to avoid over‑reliance on a single striker. Chelsea’s Premier League campaign kicks off on Monday night, August 24, against Fulham at 8 p.m. on Sky Sports’ opening Monday Night Football fixture.
The pre‑season schedule also included a globe‑trotting series of friendlies: a 6‑4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney (July 28), a 1‑2 loss to Tottenham in Sydney (August 1), a 0‑1 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong (August 5), a 3‑0 triumph over AC Milan in Jakarta (August 8), a 3‑3 draw with Johor Darul Ta'zim in Johor (August 9), and finally the 3‑1 victory over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge (August 15). These matches have offered Alonso valuable data on player fitness, tactical adaptability, and the squad’s psychological resilience ahead of the grueling English season. In summary, the friendly against Real Sociedad served as both a showcase and a diagnostic tool. It highlighted the promise of a 3‑4‑3 system that can morph into a back five when required, underscored the importance of high‑pressing after halftime, and revealed the emotional undercurrents surrounding key players like Enzo Fernández.
As Chelsea prepares for their first league game, the coaching staff will likely fine‑tune the balance between defensive solidity and attacking fluidity, while also navigating the inevitable transfer market turbulence that follows a season of mixed results.