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 scoring a tap-in within 10 minutes, Chelsea laboured in the first half, sitting too deep and unable to press, allowing Real Sociedad to equalise through Jon Mikel Aramburu's brilliant volley after forcing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into several saves.

Alonso kept the lineup unchanged after the break and Chelsea improved, with Joao Pedro heading in from Reece James' cross two minutes into the half and netting his seventh pre-season goal late on with a tidy finish. Enzo Fernandez entered as a 62nd‑minute substitute amid mixed reactions, receiving boos from some supporters over his Manchester City links but also cheers from others.

The 3-4-3 system is still evolving; Alonso can switch to a four‑man defence if needed, but the back three persisted even after many second‑half substitutions. Chelsea's Premier League opener at Fulham is set for Monday night, August 24 at 8 pm on Sky Sports.