Chelsea defender Gary Cahill believes the Blues are heading firmly in the right direction following their 1-0 victory over Liverpool in Los Angeles.

The England international headed the game’s only goal 10 minutes into his first pre-season game of the summer, meeting Cesc Fabregas’s corner with a powerful finish, reports the Chelsea website.

‘As soon as he played it and I saw the flight of the ball I thought I was going to get a good contact and from that distance, I’d expect to score. I’m pleased to get the first goal,’ Cahill said.

The 30-year-old insists that the hard work the Blues put in during their training sessions paid off when they defeated the Reds on Wednesday.

‘It’s fantastic to be back. We’ve done a lot of training, fitness work, and tactical work and it’s good to put it into practice,’ the 30-year-old added.

‘It’s a great stadium, the fans have come out today and we’ve enjoyed it. It’s a stepping stone for the season.’

Cahill says that working under new manager Antonio Conte will take some time before the squad adapts to his coaching philosophies.

‘There are some big changes, a different style and it will take time to learn,’ he said.

‘But that’s why we have pre-season. Now we move on to the next game.’

The Blues will next take on Spanish giants Real Madrid in Michigan on Saturday.