Emegha scores again as Chelsea beat Bromley in pre-season
Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens were also on the scoresheet in the win, which followed a 3-1 victory over Crawley Town last Saturday – Chelsea’s opening fixture of pre-season – in which Emegha and Gittens had likewise found the net. The result means Alonso has now overseen two wins from two unofficial matches since taking charge at Stamford Bridge.
Emegha, who joined this summer from sister club Strasbourg, has made an immediate impression with goals in both outings so far, while Chelsea continue to work several key players back into full training following extended breaks after the World Cup. Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro were both involved at Cobham, though the squad remains short of several returning internationals as preparations for the new season continue to build.
The 22-year-old Dutch forward’s move to Stamford Bridge was agreed as far back as last September, as part of the pipeline arrangement between Chelsea and Strasbourg under their shared BlueCo ownership. He arrives having captained Strasbourg last season, scoring 14 goals and adding three assists in 27 Ligue 1 appearances, form that made him one of the most closely watched young forwards in France before his switch to west London was finalised this summer.
Chelsea depart for Australia on Friday as their pre-season schedule intensifies, with a first fixture against Western Sydney Wanderers – who finished bottom of the A-League – on 28 July, followed four days later by a meeting with Tottenham.
The tour will then continue through Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia, where Chelsea are due to face Juventus, AC Milan and Johor Darul Ta’zim respectively as Alonso looks to build match sharpness across the squad before the Premier League campaign gets under way.
With so many friendlies packed into the coming weeks, Alonso will be able to rotate heavily and give minutes to a broad cross-section of his squad, including several new signings still settling in, before the group is finalised ahead of the opening weekend of the season.
