Three things learned as Joao Pedro inspires Chelsea in 10-goal thriller

Chelsea began their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia with an entertaining 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers, but while Joao Pedro stole the headlines with a second-half hat-trick, Xabi Alonso was also given a timely reminder that defensive improvements remain a priority before the new Premier League season.

The Blues recovered from falling behind on three separate occasions, with Joao Pedro inspiring the comeback after Chelsea's younger players had already impressed during an eventful opening fixture of the tour.

If there were any doubts over who will lead Chelsea's attack this season, Joao Pedro offered a convincing answer.

Introduced after the break, the Brazilian transformed the match almost immediately. He first created Jamie Gittens' equaliser with an excellent run and cut-back before taking control himself.

Joao Pedro calmly found the corner to level the score before racing onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Cole Palmer to give Chelsea the lead. Minutes later, he completed a rapid nine-minute hat-trick by converting from close range following a corner.

The performance reinforced his growing importance under Alonso, particularly with uncertainty still surrounding the futures of Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.

Chelsea are also reportedly exploring further attacking reinforcements, but Joao Pedro already looks set to be the focal point of Alonso's frontline.

While Chelsea's attacking football impressed, familiar defensive problems again threatened to undermine the team's performance.

The Blues conceded four goals through a combination of poor organisation, uncertainty defending set pieces and vulnerability during transitions.

A youthful back line, led by Tosin Adarabioyo, struggled to deal with Western Sydney Wanderers' direct approach and were repeatedly exposed whenever possession was lost.

Alonso will understand that improving Chelsea's defensive consistency is likely to be one of his biggest priorities before the Premier League campaign begins.

With competition for places at centre-back still evolving, the Spaniard may yet look to strengthen his defensive options before the transfer window closes.

Despite the defensive shortcomings, Chelsea's young players produced several encouraging performances.

Seventeen-year-old Dastan Satpayev opened the scoring with another composed finish, continuing his impressive introduction to senior football.

Midfielder Dário Essugo also caught the eye by scoring Chelsea's second goal, while academy prospects Reggie Watson and Reggie Walsh handled difficult playing conditions with maturity beyond their years.

The poor condition of the pitch at Sydney's Accor Stadium made Chelsea's possession-based style difficult to execute, yet both youngsters consistently showed composure under pressure and helped progress the ball through midfield.

Their performances will have strengthened their cases as Alonso evaluates which academy players are capable of contributing during the upcoming season.

Scoring six goals away from home provided plenty of encouragement for Chelsea's new head coach, but conceding four against determined opposition also highlighted the work that remains.

Pre-season is designed to expose weaknesses as much as build confidence, and Alonso now has valuable information as he prepares for sterner tests later in the tour.

Chelsea continue their pre-season tour with fixtures against Inter Milan, the K-League All-Stars, and Atlético Madrid, giving Alonso further opportunities to refine his tactical approach and assess his squad before the Premier League season begins.