Monday 23 July 2018 17:24, UK
Maurizio Sarri's first game in charge of Chelsea ended in victory as his new side beat Perth Glory 1-0 at the Optus Stadium on Monday.
Pedro scored the only goal of the game with a well-taken early strike after good approach play by the lively Callum Hudson-Odoi.
However, a raft of second-half changes by Sarri led to a disjointed match, although the Italian will still be delighted to have made a winning start to life as Chelsea's new head coach.
It took the Premier League side just five minutes to break the deadlock in Western Australia after Hudson-Odoi's quick feet earned himself space down the left flank.
The 17-year-old then picked out a perfect pull back from which Pedro side-footed home from eight yards for the club's first goal of pre-season.
In truth, the contest in front of 55,500 people in Perth largely resembled a low-key practice match at times, such was the disparity between the two teams, with the hosts' season still two months away from starting.
Sarri will have still learned much from watching his players in action for the first time, with only three - captain Cesc Fabregas, young goalkeeper Marcin Bulka and the returning David Luiz - staying on for the whole 90 minutes.
One man who did impress in the driving rain was recent new £57m signing Jorginho, with the Italy international controlling proceedings from his station in central midfield before being substituted at half-time.
Chelsea could have added further goals after the break, only for Ross Barkley - impressing in a more forward position in the second half - to hit the post seven minutes into the second period.
All in all, though, Sarri - who set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation - will have taken plenty of positives from his first outing in the Chelsea dugout as he prepares for the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Chelsea's recent £57m acquisition from Napoli really caught the eye in the first half at the Optus Stadium.
The 26-year-old dictated the temp of the game from the centre of the park, enjoying plenty of touches of the ball, while barely producing a stray pass in the process.
And if the Italian is going to be as silky smooth in possession as this next season, then it looks like being money well spent by Sarri on his former midfield player.
Maurizio Sarri: "I think something good, especially in the first half, less in the second half as we lost the distance between the defenders and the midfielders. We have to go back to Cobham and work very hard and we know we have to improve very quickly."
Chelsea take on Serie A side Inter Milan in Nice in the International Champions Cup on Saturday, July 28, with the game kicking off at 7.05pm.
