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Chelsea conclude pre-season tour with draw against Malaysian side JDT
09th August, 2026 06:20 PM
Chelsea FC has concluded their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia with a thrilling 3–3 draw against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
Liam Delap scored twice from the penalty spot for Xabi Alonso’s side, but the Blues were forced to battle late on to claim a share of the spoils.
Arif Aiman opened the scoring for the host side in the 14th minute following a brilliant counterattack move, with the winger turning home a close-range finish past goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe at the near post.
Delap’s twin penalties
Chelsea responded just before halftime when Liam Delap converted his first spot-kick to level matters before the break.
Shortly after the restart, Jamie Gittens was upended inside the 18-yard box, prompting the referee to award another penalty. Liam Delap repeated the trick, slamming his effort into the bottom corner to put the Blues ahead.
However, Óscar Arribas stunned the FIFA Club World Cup winners with a brilliant free-kick past substitute goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina to drag the Malaysian side back into the contest.
Late pressure
The determined hosts then retook the lead with five minutes left on the clock when Bérgson struck from outside the penalty box.
Late pressure from Chelsea forced a frantic scramble inside the penalty box, leading to a crucial own goal by Cristian Glauder to make it 3–3 and rescue the draw for Xabi Alonso’s squad.
The result caps off an inconsistent preseason run for the Premier League outfit. The Blues opened their schedule against Western Sydney Wanderers before suffering defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus FC, leaving Xabi Alonso and his technical team with key areas to refine ahead of the domestic campaign.
They went down 2-1 to Spurs, with Juventus compounding the preseason woes with a 1-0 win on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
Blues will now head home for the final preseason clash against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge, a clash that comes just days before their league opener against Fulham.
