Three things we learned from Chelsea win as Enzo Fernandez sparks fan battle

Joao Pedro is also emerging as Chelsea’s best player as a busy end to the summer transfer window is expected

Whether it be good, bad, or more likely plain chaotic, it is very rarely dull at Chelsea.

The final pre-season match is not traditionally the most thrilling of occasions, with players at this stage fit enough to avoid some of the unpredictability of earlier in the summer but still very much prioritising the imminent start of the new campaign.

That was largely the case here against Real Sociedad, Chelsea taking the lead here through Morgan Rogers but then coasting their way through the rest of the half and finding themselves pegged back.

Xabi Alonso, taking charge of the Blues for the first time at Stamford Bridge, will have been happier with the second half as his side stepped it up and Joao Pedro scored twice to earn the hosts a 3-1 win.

However, all of that felt like somewhat of a sideshow to the Chelsea fans competing to make themselves heard over a player who finished the match with the captain's armband.

Almost more interesting than the game itself was the Enzo Fernandez saga, which began well before kick-off.

Fernandez returned to the Chelsea squad this week and was named on the bench here after the Blues' Friday deadline for interested clubs to bid for him passed without any offers.

Whether it be due to the speculation over his future, his antics at the World Cup for Argentina, or a combination of both, Fernandez sparked an extraordinarily mixed reaction at Stamford Bridge.

When his name was read out before the players emerged for the warm-up, there were a smattering of boos.

More revealing, though, was what happened when he came on just after the hour mark and took the captain's armband.

There were loud jeers as he entered the pitch and again every time he touched the ball for the next few minutes. However, there were also plenty in the crowd who tried to drown that out by chanting Fernandez's name.

As that clash went on, Fernandez headed just over from a corner. Had that gone in, Stamford Bridge might have caved in on itself.

The hydration break five minutes later brought something of a reset. When play resumed, there was no real reaction when Fernandez was in possession.

Fernandez is likely to get a hostile reception around the country this season. Chelsea could do without him getting one at Stamford Bridge as well.

Joao Pedro takes baton off Cole Palmer

It was towards the end of the 2023-24 season that Mauricio Pochettino urged his Chelsea side to rise to the challenge of playing without Cole Palmer, who at the time was battling illness.

Pochettino said: "If I am a team-mate of Cole Palmer in his position or a similar position, I am going to be motivated to go there tomorrow and show this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club.”

That seems a long time ago now, with Joao Pedro feeling very much like the current talisman of this Chelsea side.

There had been hopes that a summer off for Palmer might spark him back into top form after a disappointing season, but he was very quiet once again in this match.

Joao Pedro, by contrast, was superb. He netted a brace to take his tally for the summer to eight goals in seven matches, including Chelsea's behind-closed-doors friendly.

The Brazilian could well have had a hat-trick, with his header well saved but leaving Rogers with a tap-in for Chelsea's opener.

Rogers and Joao Pedro already look to be developing a promising partnership. They combined nicely and Rogers twice flashed balls across the face of goal that his striker could not quite catch up with.

There is optimism around what Chelsea can do this season and Joao Pedro in this form will be absolutely pivotal to that.

Chelsea set for hectic end to window

The team sheet offered a reminder of just how much work Chelsea have to do before the transfer window shuts.

There were 13 players on the bench for the Blues and still a whole host of first-team players did not make the squad.

Mykahilo Mudryk, Liam Delap, Tosin Adarabioyo, Nicolas Jackson and Mamadou Sarr were all left out as Chelsea look to find moves for them this summer.

Pedro Neto, starting on the right at wing-back, could also still leave in the next two and a half weeks.

Further evidence of the size of this Chelsea squad came through with a glance at those sitting on the row behind Chelsea's substitutes.

Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson were joined by Aaron Anselmino and Emmanuel Emegha, with none of that quartet making the 24-man matchday squad.

Another transfer window and another battle for Chelsea to trim their group to a manageable size.