Chelsea's pre-season struggles continued as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Juventus in Hong Kong on Wednesday. It was their second consecutive loss, with the Blues looking flat once again, struggling to break down the Italian side before conceding to a stunning curling effort from Edon Zhegrova in the second half.
Xabi Alonso's team appeared short of ideas in search of an equaliser, and despite the return of Mykhailo Mudryk, they rarely tested Juventus' backline. The result means Chelsea have now lost two straight games, and they will be eager for a morale boost when they face AC Milan in Indonesia this weekend.
Quenda makes immediate impact
Geovany Quenda, Chelsea's £40million signing, made his first start of the tour against Juventus after recovering from a minor knock. The 19-year-old was the brightest spark for the Blues in attack, linking up well with right-back Marco Palestra and constantly looking to drive the team forward.
Quenda whipped in a dangerous cross for Danny Welbeck to head wide and showed impressive close control in difficult conditions. He looks ready to make an immediate impact in Chelsea's starting lineup.
More defensive uncertainty
Chelsea's defensive issues were evident once again, with Wesley Fofana struggling when passing out from the back. The Blues have finally agreed the £31m departure of Trevoh Chalobah to Como, but they still have too many options at centre-back, and Alonso is yet to settle on a reliable backline.
Without the injured Levi Colwill, Chelsea looked vulnerable and were punished by Zhegrova. The lack of familiarity in defence has been a recurring problem for the club, and with just three weeks until the Premier League season starts, they appear no closer to developing the necessary understanding.
No1 race heats up as Penders makes debut
Alonso has made it clear that Robert Sanchez and Mike Penders will compete for the No1 goalkeeper spot this season, with no guarantees over minutes. Sanchez has been a controversial figure since joining from Brighton, and doubts remain about his ability to compete among Europe's best.
Penders, who impressed at Strasbourg last season, lacks top-level experience but is pushing for a place. Against Juventus, Sanchez was fortunate to escape after flapping at a cross, and he knows one mistake could open the door for Penders to take his spot.
