Chelsea secured a convincing 3-0 victory over AC Milan in their pre-season friendly match held in Jakarta, highlighting the impact of their new set-piece coach, Austin MacPhee. The former Aston Villa specialist played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s renewed effectiveness from dead-ball situations, an area where the club struggled significantly last season.
Chelsea’s win was marked by two goals originating from corner kicks, underscoring the tactical influence MacPhee has already brought to the west London club. The Brazilian striker Joao Pedro opened the scoring with a precisely delivered corner by Moises Caicedo that bypassed Milan’s defensive setup, a technique reportedly developed during MacPhee’s previous tenure at Aston Villa. Pedro headed the ball down and into the net, demonstrating the direct effectiveness of the new set-piece routines.
Pedro added a second goal early in the second half before Chelsea secured the victory with a third goal, also a product of dead-ball expertise. These successful maneuvers represent a significant improvement for Chelsea, who finished the previous Premier League season as the 11th best team for set-piece goals, well behind leaders Arsenal and MacPhee’s former side, Aston Villa, who ranked third. Chelsea scored eleven fewer set-piece goals than Arsenal last term, illustrating the extent of the prior deficiency.
The new addition of MacPhee, who joined Chelsea after the club paid an undisclosed release clause, signals a strategic shift towards enhancing coaching quality to address on-field deficiencies. His arrival follows a campaign marked by managerial instability at Chelsea and poor defensive performances, particularly in set-piece situations.
MacPhee’s reputation at Villa was solidified during their Europa League run, where fans frequently chanted his name, highlighting his tactical influence. His expertise stems from an innovative approach to preparing teams for dead-ball scenarios, which has now been adopted by Chelsea with the objective of boosting results in a competitive Premier League environment.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, overseeing the team’s transition, appears set to benefit from MacPhee’s input as the club aims to improve its standing domestically. The successful display against AC Milan offers an early indication that refining coaching roles may be a cost-effective method to enhance performance, a strategy also utilized by league leaders Arsenal.
The match in Jakarta served not only as a pre-season test but also as a potential turning point in Chelsea’s tactical approach, with MacPhee’s set-piece acumen emerging as a significant asset for the upcoming season.