Chelsea beat Milan 4-1 in final pre-season

Chelsea close their short pre-season with a 4-1 win over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge, with Delap scoring twice and Pedro adding another.

Chelsea beat Milan 4-1 as Delap scores twice to cap truncated pre-season

Chelsea rounded off their truncated pre-season with a 4-1 win over 10-man AC Milan at Stamford Bridge. The game came 28 days after the Club World Cup final and 48 hours after a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. Reece James's free-kick struck Andrei Coubis and crossed the line for the opener, and two minutes later Joao Pedro headed home Pedro Neto's cross. Milan were reduced to ten men when Coubis was shown a straight red for hauling down Joao Pedro, and Chelsea pressed in the heat with several near misses before the break.

Chalobah rolled his ankle shortly after the substitution window, but Maresca played the incident down as precaution. Estevao Willian won a penalty that Delap converted to make it 3-0, and Milan briefly sparked to life through Youssouf Fofana, who beat Sanchez at his near post. Delap then added a second with a clinical finish after Andrey Santos' sumptuous pass, sealing a 4-1 win to end their pre-season on a high.

This result matters less for a trophy than for the mood it builds. Chelsea used a mix of starters and squad players to stay sharp while conserving energy in the late-summer heat, a sign that Maresca is building a squad capable of handling depth and rotation. Delap’s two goals give the young striker a real platform to push for regular minutes, while Joao Pedro and others show they can link up with more pace and intent. The match also exposes the thin line between intensity and fatigue in pre-season, especially when plans must shift after injuries and tight schedules.

Looking ahead, the test is about scale. The opening Premier League game against Crystal Palace will reveal whether this early momentum translates to league speed and consistency. If Chelsea can keep the squad fresh and maintain the same pressing and spacing, they could translate summer belief into autumn results.

Highlights

The next test arrives quickly as Chelsea chase pace and consistency in the new season.