Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed confidence prior to his second season in the West London Club, while his team is preparing for the new campaign after their club World Cup Triumph and a flawless initian season.
Chelsea won the World Cup in July with a emphatic 3-0 win over the European Champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final and wrapped their preseason on Sunday with an impressive 4-1 win over AC Milan on Stamford Bridge.
Their new forward signing sessions, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, were both on the score sheet against Milan, which were returned to 10 men after defender Andrei Coubis was sent away in the 18th minute.
“I think the performance was very good until the red card. We started the way we wanted – intensely and with a fast pace on and out of the ball,” Maresca said on Saturday.
“The red card changed the game a bit, but it is also normal when Milan started 40 days ago before the season and this was their sixth friendly.”
Chelsea had defeated Bunder-Up Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 earlier in their opening for the season friendly on Friday.
“It is our second (game for the season). But in general I am very happy, and now we are starting the Premier League,” the Italian added.
“I have faith in general and excited. We have a long season ahead of us and we will try to do our best.”
Brazilian Pedro continued his goal score exploits since he came to Chelsea from the fellow prime minister League club Brighton & Hove Albion in July and scored his fifth goal in so many games for the blues.
The 23-year-old was full of praise for his teammate Delap, who yielded a brace against Milan.
“I don't want to say competition, I think it's very good for Chelsea to have both strikers at a good level. He didn't score in the last game. Today he scored two goals. I am very happy for him,” Pedro told Channel 5.
Chelsea organizes new crowned FA Community Shield winners Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener on August 17.