Xabi Alonso Issues Blunt Chelsea Warning After Slow Start
· Yahoo Sports
Chelsea started the Xabi Alonso era perfectly, with two wins in the first two Premier League matchdays and a style of play that quickly generated enthusiasm.
But a few weeks later, the momentum stalled. After losing to Arsenal (2-1), drawing with Hull City (2-2), and being heavily beaten by Brentford (3-0), the Blues now sit 10th with 7 points, having conceded 12 goals in five matchdays, or 2.4 goals per match.
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The problem is all the more concerning because Chelsea also conceded three goals to Leeds in the League Cup, and its 3-4-2-1 system is struggling to offer enough defensive guarantees for now.
Alonso himself acknowledged it after Brentford: “We lost consistency over the course of the match, in the competitor’s mentality, which was necessary in the second half.” The Spaniard also insisted on the corrections to be made: “It’s a set of things to review. We have to work on the mentality, the play, the tactics. We must continue to progress.”
However, it’s premature to talk about a deep crisis at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea remains a project under construction and still has impressive attacking arguments.
Cole Palmer, who missed the international break, has rediscovered his efficiency with four goals and three assists, while Morgan Rogers quickly established himself with three goals and four assists.
João Pedro is also one of the season’s biggest surprises, with six goals and four assists in five starts, even though his presence against Bournemouth remains very uncertain.
A fresh Palmer return could be valuable, while Estevão, also decisive for Brazil during the break, offers an interesting alternative. But Chelsea must now find a better balance between that attacking force and a worrying defense: Maxence Lacroix is making encouraging individual debuts, but the collective concedes far too many chances and goals.
Xabi Alonso Issues Blunt Chelsea Warning After Slow Start: ‘We Need Time’
Alonso was already asking for time after the first five matchdays: “It’s a process. We have only played five matches in a very competitive Premier League. (…) We need time.”
The schedule will allow us to measure Chelsea’s ability to react. The Blues will host Bournemouth this Saturday before traveling to Everton, then hosting Tottenham and Manchester United in the league.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will also stand in their way in the League Cup. In other words, this match against Bournemouth is already an important appointment to restart the machine. Chelsea cannot afford to drop more points if it truly wants to return to the race for European places and, eventually, move closer to the teams capable of challenging for the title.
The season is still long, but after a 10th-place finish last season and the absence of European competition, expectations are inevitably high.
One key will also be Xabi Alonso’s ability to evolve his attacking setup. His 3-4-2-1 uses three center backs, two wing-backs, and a highly mobile attacking line, with Malo Gusto notably able to come inside and Pedro Neto used in a role that doesn’t match a natural full-back.
On the left, the competition between Chavarría, Palestra, and other options is not yet fully settled. This system offers many attacking options, but it also exposes Chelsea when the block loses control. Against Brentford, the Blues once again paid for their lack of consistency, and Levi Colwill himself acknowledged that the team still had to adapt to the new demands, particularly on set pieces.
This fragility is all the more surprising because Chelsea invested considerably to accompany Alonso’s arrival. Chelsea spent more than 400 million euros during the transfer window, with Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Dibu Martinez, Palestra, and several other reinforcements intended to strengthen a squad that must aim much higher.
But the arrivals also bring delicate situations, like Estevão, who had already been reported as worried about his limited playing time under Alonso. The Brazilian, however, used the break to show his qualities for the national team, which could give the Spanish coach an additional option if João Pedro misses the Bournemouth match.
Chelsea must therefore find the right combination now, without calling its entire project into question at the first sign of a downturn. Because above all, it is important to remain measured: Chelsea is not the only team struggling.
Manchester United is also in a complicated period, Aston Villa is very low, and Tottenham is currently at the bottom, proving the Premier League remains particularly unpredictable. But with the Blues’ ambitions and the resources available to Alonso, 10th place won’t last.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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