Chelsea draw with JDT leaves Xabi Alonso with issues to solve

Chelsea closed their pre-season tour with a 3-3 draw against Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim, and the game offered Xabi Alonso a revealing snapshot of the work still to be done before the Premier League season starts.

There were positives in attack, not least Liam Delap’s two penalties, but the wider picture was less straightforward. Chelsea’s squad remains crowded, discipline was an issue again, and Alonso now has limited time to bring key players back into the fold and shape a coherent group ahead of the opening league fixture against Fulham.

Delap delivers, but selection questions remain

Delap’s two spot-kicks stood out on a night when Chelsea rotated heavily. Alonso made 11 changes for the friendly after using a stronger side in the win over Milan only a day earlier and some distance away, so this was always likely to be a different kind of test.

Even so, Chelsea’s front line underlined the resources available to the new head coach. Estêvão Willian, Delap and Nicolas Jackson started in attack, a trio many Premier League clubs would gladly accommodate. Delap, who joined from Ipswich last summer, showed his finishing nerve from the penalty spot and is understood to want to stay and compete for his place.

That competition is intense. João Pedro is among the attacking options after an impressive previous season, while Danny Welbeck has arrived as a new signing. Jackson has also returned after a loan spell at Bayern Munich that gave Chelsea more to consider. Emmanuel Emegha has joined from Strasbourg and could yet move out on loan, while Marc Guiu remains at the club.

A crowded squad and little time for Alonso

Alonso’s challenge is not simply about identifying his best team. It is also about managing a squad that currently numbers 41 players despite Chelsea having no European football next season.

That imbalance creates the prospect of a disruptive end to the transfer window, with decisions still to be made across the squad. On the wings, the picture is similarly congested. Mykhailo Mudryk returned earlier than expected from a drugs ban at the end of July, adding another option alongside Cole Palmer, Estêvão and Morgan Rogers, who often operated from the left for Aston Villa.

Estêvão at least offered encouragement with a lively display after the injury that interrupted what had been a promising first season at Stamford Bridge. But the broader issue for Alonso is clear: he has talent, but also a surplus of players and not much time to settle roles before competitive football begins.

Familiar concerns over discipline

If Chelsea’s attacking depth is one talking point, their composure is another. This was an unusually heated pre-season fixture, with JDT approaching the contest with the edge and aggression associated with their manager Xisco Muñoz.

Chelsea struggled to keep their emotions under control. Delap and Jackson were both booked for dissent after disputing challenges on teammates. Estêvão was fortunate to avoid a red card after reacting angrily when he felt he should have had a penalty, receiving only a yellow. Geovany Quenda was also cautioned after coming off the bench, and 16-year-old Reggie Watson was booked in stoppage time.

• Chelsea drew 3-3 with Johor Darul Ta’zim
• Liam Delap scored twice from the penalty spot
• Xabi Alonso made 11 changes
• Chelsea received five yellow cards

Food for thought before the season starts

For Alonso, this was less about the result than the warning signs around it. Chelsea showed enough attacking quality to suggest they can threaten opponents, but the same old concerns about balance, discipline and squad management remain close to the surface.

With fewer than two weeks to prepare for the league opener against Fulham, Alonso has decisions to make quickly. The draw in Malaysia did not provide many easy answers, but it did make the scale of the task impossible to ignore.