Joao Pedro hat-trick spares Chelsea's blushes in 10-goal thriller vs Western Sydney Wanderers as Xabi Alonso makes winning start

Alonso made a winning start to life as Chelsea head coach, but his side were made to work hard in a thrilling 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers. The lead astonishingly changed hands five times during a frantic encounter at the Accor Stadium.

Despite contending with a heavily worn pitch following a weekend of rugby matches, Chelsea fielded a youthful starting lineup featuring senior figures Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Dario Essugo. Debutant Dastan Satpayev gave the Blues an early lead, but the Australian hosts repeatedly capitalised on poor defending to keep the game chaotic.

With Chelsea unexpectedly trailing in the second half, Alonso introduced a raft of high-profile substitutes to salvage the match. Brazilian forward Joao Pedro emerged as the undisputed hero, netting a rapid late hat-trick to completely turn the tide in Sydney. Alonso was delighted with the striker's impact and elite mentality on the pitch.

"He [Pedro] is very hungry. He is really, really determined to have a great season. He scored many goals but I think he wants to keep scoring more and more," Alonso said after the game.

For all of Chelsea's brilliant attacking play, their porous backline will give Alonso plenty of cause for concern ahead of his first Premier League campaign. Western Sydney repeatedly exposed a youthful defensive unit that consistently looked off the pace.

Anthony Pantzopoulos and Aydan Hammond punished early Chelsea errors, while a deflected clearance allowed Dylan Scicluna to temporarily restore the hosts' advantage. Even after Chelsea introduced first-team regulars, a sloppy pass from Estevao allowed Awan Lual to slip another goal past Robert Sanchez.

Fortunately, Chelsea's immense attacking firepower covered up their glaring defensive frailties. Exciting prospect Jamie Gittens continued his fine form, scoring the third goal shortly after coming off the bench.

While Alonso will be pleased to begin his tenure with a victory, the defensive performance highlights the immense tactical work required behind the scenes. The Spaniard has five remaining pre-season fixtures to tighten up his backline and establish a reliable tactical system.

The Blues will need to quickly fix their defensive shape as they prepare for a much sterner test this weekend. Chelsea return to action on Saturday with a high-profile friendly clash against London rivals Tottenham in Sydney.