Chelsea kicked off their pre-season campaign in style with a promising 1-0 victory over Perth Glory.
Maurizio Sarri named his first Chelsea XI, who lined up in a 4-3-3 system.
New signing Jorginho was given his first start as a Chelsea player, lining up in a midfield three alongside Ross Barkley and Cesc Fabregas.
Promising youngsters Marcin Bulka and Callum Hudson-Odoi were also joined by the returning Ethan Ampadu in the starting line-up.
Pre-season games can be hard too judge, but with plenty of changes to the squad and a new-look system, we’ve looked at what we can learn from the 1-0 victory.
Jorginho runs the show
Chelsea fans got their first sighting of Jorginho in a blue shirt against Perth Glory, and the Italian looked right at home.
He slotted into the base of a midfield three perfectly alongside Fabregas and Barkley.
The Italian would drop very deep, almost like a third central defender at times to pick the ball up and start attacks. From the get-go, he looked composed and did not stop showing for the ball.
It is already clear to see how he will be a key figure in Sarri’s Chelsea side.
Attacking full-backs
The Blues may have reverted to a back four but the full-backs showed no sign of slowing down. Davide Zappacosta got forward at every opportunity and looked to push the Perth Glory defenders back where possible.
Emerson came off the bench it the second half and did just the same on the left-hand side. Going forward, Sarri will need to find the right balance. Perth did manage to get in behind in the latter stages of the game, with the Blues still adjusting to playing in a back four.
Morata struggles to squash rumours about his future
A goal against Perth would have done Morata a world of good, but he continued to look a shadow of the striker we saw in the early stages of last season.
He got himself into some good positions but failed to do enough in front of goal.
Sarri will be keen to get a good look at him before deciding on his future, but even at this stage of the season, the rumours are not going to slow down with a performance like that.
Hudson-Odoi impresses, but let’s not get carried away
Callum Hudson-Odoi impressed during the first half and would have certainly left an impression on Sarri.
He showed his natural pace and willingness to beat the defender, traits that saw him pick up a brilliant assist for Pedro’s goal.
However, he still has a lot to learn with regards to when and where to distribute the ball, but that will come with game time and experience. The signs are positive for the young winger.
Barkley has a golden opportunity in front of him
It is easy to get carried away this early in the season, but all signs suggest that Barkley has the chance to nail down a place in Sarri’s Chelsea squad going forward.
Whether that is in a deeper midfield three or a more advanced position, it is yet to be seen, but he has a clean slate under Sarri and there’s a golden opportunity for him to take if he can prove his fitness and impress when given the chance.
He can offer a lot from a deeper position when starting in a midfield three and he was keen to try and get in the final third with late runs into the box against Perth. He looked much more like a goal threat, something Chelsea lacked from midfield last season.
