Chelsea racked up another hard-fought victory in pre-season, beating Reading 4-3, in a game personified by calamitous defending and equally ruthless finishing.
Another sloppy start to proceedings seemed to indicate a difficult afternoon for Frank Lampard’s men, but after Josh Barrett had given Reading the lead with a superb lobbed effort, Chelsea responded with energy and precision to turn the game on its head by half-time.
Ross Barkley drew the sides level midway through the game, whipping a free-kick into the top corner, and in turn adding another spectacular finish to his pre-season collection.
Barkley remained at the forefront of Chelsea’s offensive play, carving out opportunities and space for his teammates, and he was finally rewarded for his efforts after the Blues took the lead minutes before the interval. Kenedy will rightly claim the goal but his long-range effort should perhaps have been dealt with more effectively by Reading keeper’ Joao Virginia.
Despite fielding a stronger team for the second-half, Chelsea’s problems with marking from set-pieces persisted and Reading were quickly on terms through new signing Michael Morrison who tapped home from close range.
The two sides traded blows, both hitting the woodwork before Mason Mount twice capitalised upon defensive errors at the back to put Chelsea in a comfortable position. Further defensive lapses, this time from Emerson, dragged Reading back into the game as Sam Baldock finished when played through one on one. The tempo of the game slowed after the flurry of early goals, and Lampard will be pleased to have come away with the victory despite the obvious defensive frailties on show.
Here’s how we rated Chelsea’s display.
