Alonso praises Chelsea starlet Satpaev after debut goal: ‘You will be really impressed with him’ | OneFootball

Chelsea beat Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 at Accor Stadium in Sydney in their first official pre-season game.

The Blues took the lead through Dastan Satpaev, who looked impressive, but the Australian side battled back into the game.

More Chelsea goals from Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, and a hat-trick from Joao Pedro ensured the West London outfit secured the victory.

The Chelsea attacking unit and the midfielders were impressive, although Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong did not cover themselves in glory at the back.

Still, there are plenty of positives for Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso to take home.

Joao Pedro looks ready to pick up from where he left off last season after scoring a nine-minute hat-trick.

Young Kazakhstan forward Satpaev was also outstanding in his first of hopefully many outings for his new club.

Besides his well-taken opener, he drifted from the left into a secondary striker position to combine well with Essugo and Reggie Walsh for the second goal.

Alonso was clearly impressed with the 17-year-old and said (via the Daily Mail), ‘He is really strong, really quick, and you will be really impressed with him.’

Chelsea should keep Satpaev next season

Chelsea should resist any temptation to send Satpaev out on loan this season.

While regular minutes are important for his age, there is a strong case for keeping him around the first team under Alonso. His versatility already stands out.

He looks capable of providing cover in the No. 10 role behind Joao Pedro, allowing Cole Palmer to be rested, while he can also operate as a left-winger or as a striker.

Those options could prove invaluable across a long campaign.

More importantly, Satpaev is clearly an exceptional talent who would benefit from training and occasionally playing at the highest level.

Carefully managed opportunities could accelerate his development far more than a lower-level loan spell.