Chelsea wrapped up their pre-season in style with a commanding 4-1 victory over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge, as Liam Delap’s brace capped a dominant display against the ten-man Rossoneri.
The afternoon began with celebrations, as the Blues paraded their Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League trophies before quickly taking control on the pitch.
Joao Pedro opened the scoring inside ten minutes, heading in from Pedro Neto’s lofted delivery, moments after Milan defender Andrei Coubis had inadvertently turned Reece James’ cross into his own net.
Coubis’s nightmare debut worsened when he was shown a straight red for hauling down Pedro on the break.
With the visitors reduced to ten men, Chelsea dictated proceedings. Delap struck from the penalty spot early in the second half after Estevão was brought down, before Youssouf Fofana briefly reduced the deficit for Milan.
Any hope of a comeback was short-lived, as Delap latched onto Andrey Santos’ clever flick to smash home his second in stoppage time.
Enzo Maresca will have been encouraged by his side’s sharpness and attacking fluidity, despite injury concerns for Trevoh Chalobah.
With Crystal Palace visiting on the Premier League’s opening weekend, Chelsea look ready to hit the ground running.