Chelsea's Asian Tour Ends in 3-3 Thriller Against Johor DT
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chelsea's grueling five-game Asian preseason tour concluded with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday, July 9. The match saw the Blues overturn a first-half deficit through two Levi Colwill penalties, before Johor DT replied with two goals of their own, ultimately settling for a point when an own goal in the 89th minute rescued a draw. New manager Enzo Maresca recorded two wins, one draw, and two defeats across the exhausting five-match schedule.
Key Points
- Chelsea spent 56 hours in the air covering approximately 24,561 miles (40,000 km) during the Asian tour, nearly double their US tour from last summer
- The Blues played matches against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham in Australia, Juventus in Hong Kong, AC Milan in Indonesia (winning 3-0), and Johor DT in Malaysia
- Chelsea fell behind after 14 minutes before Colwill equalized from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time
- Colwill converted a second penalty after halftime to give Chelsea the lead, only for Johor DT to score twice and lead again
- A defensive error led to an own goal in the 89th minute, resulting in the 3-3 final scoreline
- Chelsea will play their final preseason match at home against Real Sociedad on Saturday, August 15
Why It Matters
The extensive travel schedule has raised concerns about player fatigue potentially affecting Chelsea's start to the Premier League season. According to British media statistics, Chelsea's Asian tour represented the most extensive travel among all Premier League teams, which could impact their competitiveness in the early stages of the campaign as Maresca seeks to implement his tactical philosophy with a potentially exhausted squad .
The extensive travel schedule has raised concerns about player fatigue potentially affecting Chelsea's start to the Premier League season. According to British media statistics, Chelsea's Asian tour represented the most extensive travel among all Premier League teams, which could impact their competitiveness in the early stages of the campaign as Maresca seeks to implement his tactical philosophy with a potentially exhausted squad .