Chelsea just played their first public game of the summer, and it wasn’t against a Premier League rival or a flashy European club. It was against Western Sydney Wanderers, a team that finished dead last in the A-League last season.
Doesn’t matter. This match was never really about the opponent.
A New Era, Literally
Tuesday’s friendly at Accor Stadium in Sydney marked the unofficial start of the Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge. This was his first game in charge after Chelsea convinced him to take over following a genuinely messy season, one where the club burned through three different managers before it was over.
That’s not an exaggeration either. Enzo Maresca left partway through, Liam Rosenior stepped in, and Calum McFarlane ended up finishing the campaign in charge. Chelsea missed out on European football entirely. So yeah, this rebuild needed to start somewhere, and it started in Australia.
The Opponent Doesn’t Matter (For Now)
Western Sydney Wanderers weren’t exactly rolling into this one on a hot streak. They’d dropped their last two competitive games, a 2-1 loss to Wellington and a 2-0 defeat at home to Melbourne Victory. Their one bright spot recently was a 2-0 win over Tigers FC in the Australian Cup.
Chelsea, meanwhile, arrived with a bit of momentum of their own, at least on paper. Before this trip Down Under, they’d already won two closed-door friendlies. Their last competitive result was a 2-1 win over Tottenham, though that followed a rougher outing where they lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Manchester City.
None of that history really factored into Tuesday’s game plan, though. This was about something else entirely.
It’s About the Squad, Not the Scoreline
Alonso’s job here wasn’t to grind out a result against a team that finished bottom of Australia’s top flight. It was to actually look at his players and figure out who fits his vision going forward.
Chelsea have a deep, constantly shifting roster of young talent, and a match like this is exactly where a new manager gets his first real look at who can execute his ideas. Expect plenty of fresh faces getting minutes, several of them likely making their first appearance for the senior side.
If you’re the type who cares more about performances than a preseason scoreline, this was the match to watch.
How to Watch It
There wasn’t a traditional TV broadcast for this one. If you wanted to catch it live, your only real options were streaming through CFC+, Paramount+, or CBS Sports Golazo.
What Comes Next
This is just the opening game of Chelsea’s preseason tour, and honestly, it’s less a test and more an audition. Alonso has a full summer to figure out his best XI before the Premier League season kicks back into gear, and how his fringe players perform in games like this one will shape a lot of those decisions.
Keep an eye on Chelsea’s remaining preseason schedule if you want to track how the new setup is shaping up before things get serious again in August.
Want more Chelsea preseason coverage, squad news, and Premier League updates as the new season approaches? Stick around, because this Xabi Alonso rebuild is just getting started.
