Chelsea’s Joao Pedro double gives Alonso timely boost against Real Sociedad

Chelsea completed their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, giving Alonso’s side a positive final test before the start of the Premier League campaign.

Morgan Rogers put the hosts ahead after only nine minutes, making an immediate impact on his first appearance for the club. The England international moved to Chelsea from Aston Villa this summer in a deal worth €137m.

Rogers’ early goal reflected Chelsea’s strong start, with the London club controlling the tempo and creating the clearer momentum during the opening stages. Real Sociedad were unable to match their opponents’ intensity at first, but they recovered before the interval.

The Spanish side levelled in the final moments of the first half when Jon Aramburu found the net in the 45th minute. The equaliser ensured the teams went into the break on level terms at 1-1, despite Chelsea’s earlier dominance.

Chelsea restored their advantage just two minutes after the restart. Brazilian forward Joao Pedro finished to put the home side back in front, and he completed his personal double in the 77th minute to secure the win.

The result gives Chelsea an encouraging conclusion to their preparations and provides another confidence boost before their first competitive fixture. Joao Pedro’s two goals were particularly significant in a match in which the hosts regained control after Real Sociedad’s late first-half response.

Chelsea will begin their Premier League campaign on 24 August, when they face Fulham. The victory over Real Sociedad therefore offered Alonso a final opportunity to assess his team before the league schedule begins, while the performance also allowed the squad to end pre-season with the momentum of a home win.

Real Sociedad head into their opening La Liga fixture in less positive circumstances. Saturday’s defeat was their third in succession, following losses against Toulouse and Koln.

They will now turn their attention to their league opener against Real Betis on 21 August, with the defeat at Stamford Bridge ending their preparations on a difficult note. Chelsea, by contrast, finished the build-up to the new season by scoring three times and recovering from the setback of conceding an equaliser shortly before half-time.

Rogers’ early contribution and Joao Pedro’s second-half double ultimately settled the contest. The 3-1 scoreline also gave Chelsea a strong result to take into the Premier League, with Alonso’s side now set to begin their competitive campaign against Fulham.