Chelsea made a good start to their pre-season tour of the US by beating Club America 2-1 on Saturday evening.
Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount were enough for Thomas Tuchel's side to get over the line, with Reece James putting the ball into his own net. The Blues have two more games in the US - against Charlotte and Arsenal - before heading to Italy to face Udinese.
Chelsea's Premier League campaign gets underway against Everton at Stamford Bridge on August 6 and Tuchel will have some big selection decisions to make ahead of that fixture. Here are the big winners and losers from their first pre-season clash.
Winners
Conor Gallagher
Didn’t do too badly at all. If anything, probably played it a bit safe when the game in the midfield was there for the taking in the first half. Among his better moments was the one after just 10 minutes, when he demanded the ball on the right, eased past two players and crossed for Hakim Ziyech who just failed to control the ball for a shot on goal.
Minutes later he would cushion the ball superbly in the centre of the park to gain a few yards and ease away from Pedro Aquino with the minimum of fuss. The midfielder found himself so easily bamboozled that he tugged Gallagher back. These are early days but the signs are good.
Ken you believe it?
Poor old Kenedy. Here yet again to make up the numbers at the time of year when you are reminded that he is still a Chelsea player. Is he ever going to be allowed to leave? Is his contract written in blood?
Now 26, he clearly needs a fresh start somewhere after his five loans since signing for the Blues in 2015. His cameo here did him no harm at all. Some good movement, intelligent passing and an all-round display to surely put him in the shop window.
Werner
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What a way to respond to the signing of Raheem Sterling. Goals are his currency and, to have opened his account in his first training exercise pre-season friendly will do his confidence the power of good. Keep this up and Thomas Tuchel might end up starting him in that first game of the new Premier League season at Everton and fielding Raheem Sterling as a false nine.
Werner looked to have had a good summer with not an ounce of fat on his bronzed body here in Las Vegas. He clearly is on a mission to show that he is ready to settle in his second season.
Losers
Batshuayi
He’s still not the one. Somehow found himself in the way of Werner’s initial effort before the German’s opener. Lacked composure in the box throughout his second half cameo and, while enthusiastic, couldn’t time his runs to make the most of the service into him.
When his big counter-attacking opportunity came with 14 minutes left, he strayed offside from Christian Pulisic’s through ball. You feel for him because the enthusiasm is there but the quality simply isn’t.
James
How ironic that Reece James, player who has been so sublime for Chelsea, could do something so ridiculous to gift Club America their equaliser. The England wing-back, on the right of his own box, rolled a diagonal effort towards substitute keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
For reasons best known to himself, Bettinelli showed an alarming inability to react quickly enough, allowing the ball to roll over the line. Now we know why he is third choice.
