Rogers' debut, 3-4-3 and Fernandez's reception - Alonso's mixed Chelsea display

Chelsea vs Real Sociedad; Friendly Match Chelsea vs Real Sociedad. Friendly Match. Stamford Bridge. Chelsea 3 - M Rogers (11th minute) - J Pedro (47th minute, 77th minute) Real Sociedad 1 - J Aramburu (45th minute) Chelsea 3-1 Real Sociedad: Xabi Alonso deploys back three again as Morgan Rogers scores and Enzo Fernandez receives mixed reaction Xabi Alonso wins first home match as Chelsea end pre-season with victory; Alonso deploys 3-4-3 formation that was successful at Bayer Leverkusen; Chelsea struggle in first half; Morgan Rogers scores on debut; Joao Pedro nets twice; Enzo Fernandez booed and cheered by supporters Saturday 15 August 2026 16:13, UK Chelsea ended pre-season with a mixed 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad as manager Xabi Alonso offered more clues about the formation his side could play ahead of their Premier League opener against Fulham. For a third straight match, Chelsea started with a back three, replicating Alonso's successful 3-4-3 system from his time at Bayer Leverkusen when they won the Bundesliga in 2024, as British-record signing Morgan Rogers and defender Maxence Lacroix both made their debuts. However, despite Rogers netting a tap-in within just 10 minutes, Chelsea laboured in the first-half, sitting too deep and unable to press their LaLiga opponents, who deservedly equalised before half-time through Jon Mikel Aramburu's brilliant volley after forcing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into several saves. - As it happened | Teams | Stats - Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱 - Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream Premier League games with no contract 📺 But Alonso sent his side out unchanged after the break and they were much improved, Joao Pedro heading in from Reece James' cross just two minutes into the half before the striker netted his seventh of pre-season late on with a tidy finish. Enzo Fernandez, though, added to Chelsea's mixed afternoon when his introduction as a 62nd-minute substitute was met by boos from some supporters following his transfer links with Manchester City, but also cheers from others who sang his name. More to follow... The key talking points from Stamford Bridge - Xabi Alonso deploys a 3-4-3 formation for a third successive match. - Morgan Rogers scores 10 minutes into his Chelsea debut after £117m move. - Marco Palestra struggles at left-wing back amid Chelsea's poor first-half performance. - Chelsea improve in the second half with Joao Pedro scoring twice but is their only recognised striker. - Enzo Fernandez comes on to boos and cheers from home supporters after Man City links. What's next? Chelsea's Premier League campaign begins at Fulham in the first Monday Night Football of the season at 8pm on August 24, live on Sky Sports. Chelsea's pre-season results July 28: Chelsea 6-4 Western Sydney Wanderers - Sydney August 1: Chelsea 1-2 Tottenham - Sydney August 5: Chelsea 0-1 Juventus - Hong Kong August 8: Chelsea 3-0 AC Milan - Jakarta August 9: Johor Darul Ta'zim 3-3 Chelsea - Johor August 15: Chelsea vs Real Sociedad - Stamford Bridge