Chelsea defeats Western Sydney in a friendly match

Chelsea secured a thrilling 6-4 victory over their Australian counterparts, Western Sydney, in a friendly match played yesterday afternoon, as part of the Blues’ preparations for the upcoming season.

Chelsea struck early through Dastan Satbayev after just seven minutes. The Australian side equalized through Pantazopoulos in the 14th minute, and Hammond gave Western Sydney the lead in the 32nd minute. Dario Esso scored the Blues’ second goal in the 38th minute.

In the second half, Cyclone scored Western Sydney’s third goal in the 62nd minute, prompting Chelsea to equalize through Jamie Gittens in the 66th minute. However, Loual restored the home side’s lead with their fourth goal in the 78th minute. Brazilian striker João Pedro then scored a hat-trick within nine minutes, netting in the 80th, 85th, and 89th minutes.

The Blues will play their second pre-season friendly against their London rivals Tottenham next Saturday.

Today’s match marked the first under the management of Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, the former Real Madrid manager, who took charge of the London club this summer.

In other news, winger Harvey Barnes signed a new “long-term” contract with his club Newcastle, who finished twelfth in last season’s English Premier League.

Meanwhile, Manchester City announced yesterday that the surgery undergone by Spanish midfielder Rodri was successful. The club stated in an official statement that the procedure was straightforward and resolved the back problem Rodri had been experiencing. Rodri will begin a rehabilitation program in the coming days in preparation for his return to the pitch.

City did not specify a date for the Spanish international’s return to training or matches, emphasizing that the current priority is completing the recovery phase and regaining full physical fitness. Despite suffering from back pain, Rodri played a key role for the Spanish national team during their campaign in the 2026 World Cup, contributing significantly to leading La Roja to the title. He decided to undergo surgery following the conclusion of the tournament.