Chelsea
rescued a late 1-1 draw with Inter Milan in their final game of a rather
underwhelming pre-season period, courtesy of a last minute Lesley Ugochukwu
equaliser.
The leveller was scored on the stroke of full-time to atone for more lax
Chelsea defending, which saw them concede their 13th goal across six
pre-season friendlies, something that new boss Enzo Maresca has already
admitted is an area of concern.
Neto unveiled
Winger Pedro Neto was unveiled as an official Chelsea player at
half-time, wearing club colours and waving to the Stamford Bridge
crowd.
The 24-year-old previously spent five seasons at Wolves, scoring two
goals and providing nine assists in 20 appearances last season. |
Inter's opener was crafted beautifully, involving a surging run from Yann
Bisseck, a deft pass from the left boot of Joaquin Correa and a thunderbolt
finish from Marcus Thuram. It only took three Inter players to carve through
the heart of Chelsea, who looked open and disorganised.
Maresca grew agitated as the game progressed, singling out Enzo Fernandez to
relay instruction. He clapped the only meaningful Chelsea move of the first
period with genuine enthusiasm, but Noni Madueke's cross towards Mykhailo
Mudryk was met with a familiarly erratic attempt at goal.
Thuram was delivering a lesson in exactly what Chelsea lack - a definitive
No 9 - prompting some half-time changes, which included Cole Palmer, getting
his first minutes since returning from Euros duty, and Christopher Nkunku.
The latter nearly produced something spectacular 10 minutes into the half,
denied by Yann Sommer, before Levi Colwill rattled the post.
Positivity built, without ever really reaching a crescendo. Palmer was
typically bright on the ball, while forgotten man Mudryk enjoyed a few
positive touches but no end product. Nkunku went close a handful of times
too, before Ugochukwu slammed home in the 90th minute from a poorly-defended
corner.
Chelsea end their pre-season campaign with just one win, against Mexican
side Club America.
Analysis: More players, more problems?
Just before kick off, the PA announcer, prancing up and down the touchline,
made a point of welcoming Chelsea's latest recruits to Stamford Bridge. The
list was, of course, long.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got a mild cheer, as did Tosin, but as the catalogue
continued for longer than perhaps it should, applause tailed off.
Football fans usually go nuts for new mega-money signings - apparently not
at Chelsea. The transfer window redo is simply part and parcel of the Todd
Boehly and Clearlake revolution. All very humdrum.
Enzo Maresca named a starting XI containing two summer additions
(Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Guiu), backed up by a 14-player bench. It doesn't
take a mathematician to work out that the Italian's squad is impossibly
oversubscribed.
Come next weekend, when Chelsea meet Man City live on Sky Sports, the
matchday contingent will have to be trimmed by five and that is before you
consider Pedro Neto's involvement - signed for £54m and introduced to the
Stamford Bridge crowd at half time.
It will also need to accommodate the return of captain Reece James from yet
another injury setback. Just where all these players fit is surely Maresca's
foremost and greatest challenge, before a ball is even kicked.
What's coming up in the Premier League?
The wait is nearly over. Chelsea will kick off the new Premier League season
at home to champions Manchester City next weekend, live on Sky Sports Super
Sunday, kick-off 4.30pm.
That game is one of five matches live on Sky Sports on opening weekend,
including Man United vs Fulham on Friday Night Football, West Ham vs Aston
Villa on Saturday Night Football, Brentford vs Crystal Palace completes
Super Sunday, before Leicester vs Tottenham round off the action on Monday
Night Football.
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