Enzo Maresca secured his first win as Chelsea head coach with an impressive 3-0 victory over Club America in the early hours of Thursday morning.
After a draw with Wrexham and a humiliating 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Celtic had ramped up the pressure, Chelsea produced a composed performance here which flashed glimpses of Maresca's signature style throughout.
Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke both netted penalties either side of a first unofficial goal for Marc Guiu, but Chelsea could have easily had more goals after a dominant first-half showing.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
Maresca trialled an inverted left-back this time around, sending Malo Gusto into midfield and instead asking Reece James to stick around as a right-sided centre-back.
It's a role he's familiar with, having spent a lot of time in the academy in a job which senior fans can compare to Cesar Azpilicueta's impact under Antonio Conte, and that comfort was on show here.
James looked great on both sides of the ball, offering solidity in defence and a strong passing range from the back. While his attacking input was obviously limited, this move did seem to provide some much-needed balance to Chelsea's team.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall lives up to "teacher's pet" nickname
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made his first appearance for Chelsea here and immediately looked right at home in Maresca's system. Having followed the manager from Leicester City this summer, many have already given him the playful nickname of "teacher's pet".
What cannot be denied is how much Dewsbury-Hall contributed to Chelsea's fluidity. While other players still needed a second or two to figure out where they should be, the midfielder was always in the right spot and clearly knew exactly how to compliment Romeo Lavia who, once again, was sublime at the base of midfield.
"From outside, you can see Kiernan is talking a different language to his teammates in terms of he knows exactly what he needs to do on and off the ball," Maresca said after the game. "On the ball sometimes he is going to receive it wide, running in behind.
"This is because we have worked together for one year. I asked him to speak with his teammates on the pitch because he knows exactly how we are to move and he is going to help us this season many times."
Perhaps the top performer of pre-season so far alongside Lavia, Christopher Nkunku put in another dazzling performance against Club America.
He slotted home his early penalty and won the second after some glorious footwork which has seen fans compare the Frenchman to their beloved Eden Hazard, taking it upon himself to make something happen in attack.
Maresca is still focused on building Nkunku's fitness after such a lengthy struggle with injury last season, but the rewards are already clear to see. This could be a match made in heaven.
Maresca lays down penalty law
Penalties were a sore subject for Chelsea last season. A handful of childish scraps on the pitch, plus Mauricio Pochettino's refusal to name a primary taker until it was too late, brought lots of unnecessary drama to Stamford Bridge.
Here, things threatened to boil over once again when Noni Madueke won an early penalty and picked the ball up, but a swift message from Maresca saw the ball handed to Nkunku instead. As a reward for his selflessness, Madueke was allowed to take the second spot kick.
After the game, Maresca confirmed Nkunku was his preferred taker here, but Cole Palmer will take charge when he is on the pitch.
"Noni was close to taking one but I told Tosin to tell Noni that Christo is to take the penalty," the boss explained. "Noni left the ball there and Christo took. I understand the desire to score but I am the guy that decides who takes the penalty, not the players.
"For sure, when Cole is back because of last year and I know Cole is very good. For sure, he is the taker. But Cole is not here so we decide for another one and Christo is the one."
Chelsea's latest summer signing, goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, made his debut as a half-time substitute here, but not before Robert Sanchez sent a thoroughly impressive message of his own.
With a real fight for the starting spot on his hands, Sanchez made some excellent saves in the first half and also looked comfortable with his feet, reminding Maresca that he undoubtedly possesses the qualities needed to work in his structure.
After the break, it was over to Jorgensen. The 22-year-old was happy sitting outside his penalty area to join in play and played some excellent passes out from the back. Maresca has a tough decision to make here.
READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
feed
