Chelsea rounded off their pre season preparations in style on Saturday afternoon, defeating Real Sociedad 3 1 at Stamford Bridge in a performance that offered new manager Xabi Alonso plenty of encouragement ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
The friendly was particularly significant for Alonso as it marked his first appearance as Chelsea manager in front of the Stamford Bridge supporters. It also provided the Blues with their final opportunity to build momentum before their competitive campaign begins against Fulham on August 24.
Chelsea made an energetic start and quickly put Real Sociedad under pressure. The hosts moved the ball with confidence in the opening stages, with their attacking players finding useful spaces around the Spanish side’s defensive line.
The pressure eventually produced the opening goal in the 11th minute.
Morgan Rogers, one of Chelsea’s major attacking additions, reacted quickest after Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro had denied João Pedro’s header from Pedro Neto’s cross. Rogers followed up on the rebound and calmly finished to give Chelsea a 1 0 lead.
It was an important moment for Rogers, who continued to demonstrate why Chelsea invested heavily in bringing him to Stamford Bridge. His ability to operate between the lines and attack defenders gave Real Sociedad problems throughout the first half.
Chelsea continued to threaten after taking the lead, with João Pedro coming close to adding a second. The Brazilian forward was lively in the final third and repeatedly looked capable of exploiting gaps in the Sociedad defence.
However, Real Sociedad gradually settled into the contest and began creating opportunities of their own.
The visitors eventually found their equaliser just before half time.
In the 45th minute, Jon Aramburu produced a spectacular long range effort that beat Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and brought Real Sociedad level at 1 1.
The goal gave the Spanish side renewed confidence heading into the interval, while Chelsea were left frustrated after dominating much of the opening period.
Alonso’s team, however, responded strongly after the break.
Chelsea needed only two minutes of the second half to regain the advantage.
In the 47th minute, João Pedro rose to meet an inviting cross from captain Reece James and produced a well placed header that found the back of the net.
The goal restored Chelsea’s lead and further underlined João Pedro’s excellent pre season form.
The forward has been one of the standout performers during Chelsea’s preparations and once again demonstrated his ability to make a decisive contribution inside the penalty area. He finished the afternoon with two goals, taking his pre season tally to seven goals.
Real Sociedad attempted to respond, but Chelsea looked increasingly comfortable as the second half progressed.
Alonso began making changes as he looked to give several players valuable minutes, while the Blues maintained their attacking intensity.
One of the substitutions proved decisive.
Malo Gusto played an important role in Chelsea’s third goal, delivering the pass that allowed João Pedro to complete his brace.
The Brazilian struck again in the 77th minute, producing a composed finish across goal to make it 3 1.
The second goal completed an impressive individual performance from João Pedro and effectively settled the contest.
Chelsea could have added further goals during the closing stages, but Real Sociedad goalkeeper Remiro made several important saves to prevent the scoreline from becoming even more emphatic.
The Spanish visitors also had moments going forward, particularly through Takefusa Kubo, but Chelsea’s defence managed to prevent them from producing another serious comeback.
The victory was an encouraging conclusion to Chelsea’s pre season campaign after a mixed tour of Australia and Asia.
Alonso’s side had previously produced a dramatic 3 3 draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia, a result that exposed some defensive weaknesses. The performance against Real Sociedad was considerably more controlled and offered a positive response before the start of competitive football.
The match also attracted considerable attention because of Enzo Fernández’s return to Stamford Bridge amid uncertainty surrounding his future.
Fernández came on in the second half and received a mixed reception from supporters, with some fans booing the Argentine midfielder while others applauded him. His situation has been closely followed after reported interest from Manchester City during the summer transfer window.
Despite the off field questions, Alonso will be pleased with the way his team responded on the pitch.
The Chelsea manager has spent the summer attempting to introduce his ideas and establish a clear identity within the squad. The victory over Real Sociedad provided another opportunity to assess his players before the pressure of Premier League competition begins.
The result was also significant because Real Sociedad are a strong La Liga opponent with considerable technical quality. The Spanish club had spells of possession and created opportunities, but Chelsea’s attacking efficiency ultimately proved decisive.
For Real Sociedad, the defeat represents an uncomfortable conclusion to their preparations. The Spanish side have reportedly suffered a difficult run of results during pre season and conceded 13 goals across seven matches.
Chelsea, meanwhile, can take several positives from the performance.
Rogers opened the scoring, João Pedro delivered another outstanding attacking display with two goals, while Reece James and Malo Gusto contributed important assists. Pedro Neto also impressed with his involvement in the opening goal.
Most importantly, the Blues finished their final friendly with confidence and now have a clear target ahead.
Their first Premier League test under Alonso will come against Fulham on August 24, when the new Chelsea boss will discover just how much progress his team has made during the summer.
The victory over Real Sociedad may only have been a pre season friendly, but the performance will give Chelsea supporters plenty of reasons for optimism.
With João Pedro firing, Morgan Rogers making an impact and Alonso beginning to shape his team, Chelsea now head into the new Premier League season with momentum on their side.
Final Score: Chelsea 3 1 Real Sociedad
Goals: Morgan Rogers 11′, Jon Aramburu 45′, João Pedro 47′, 77′
