Xabi Alonso’s masterful strike helped Chelsea beat Bournemouth 5-1 at the weekend.
When Chelsea locked horns with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, Xabi Alonso quietly fitted into a new jersey and it was a total treat.
On paper, the Blues stuck with a back three of Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix and Josh Acheampong, with Pep Chavarria and Pedro Neto at wing-backs in the middle of the park alongside Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson, leaving Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers to support Joao.
Before the international break, Chelsea rarely deviated from this general shape, often leaving dead space in the pitch for the opposition to exploit in or out of possession.
Although the Blues were able to throw their bodies forward and score plenty of goals, the gaps between midfield and the back line were too great on several occasions and the team was particularly vulnerable in transition.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and more via our dedicated Facebook page
Of course, different opposition, game situations and available personnel would be variables in the opening weeks of the season, but Alonso only took the reins and began to implement his ideas in July. But it seems that the Spaniard has finally closed these weak points.
Chelsea often dropped into a 4-4-2 formation against Bournemouth, with Acheampong defending wide and on paper to the right of the back three, essentially playing right-back, pushing Neto a bit further forward. Meanwhile, Colwill and Lacroix fit a little more centrally.
With four at the back and two midfielders covering a lot of ground in the middle of the park, the distances were more manageable. Fortunately for Alonso, Amy Martinez, still in the nipping stages of her tenure, was able to come to the rescue on several occasions when the Blues were caught.
As the chart above shows, Chelsea averaged 4-2-4 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Of course, it’s no surprise that the Blues suddenly looked more reliable with Caicedo at double-header, playing a key role in almost every phase of the game, but the slight change in form certainly paid off.
The chart shows the roles of Chavarria (left, backside) and Neto (right, nearside). Both were instructed to bomb forward as evidenced by each of Pedro’s goals driven by his desire to get behind the opposition back line.
The former, as mentioned above, had more defensive responsibilities than the latter, who was guarded by Acheampong in a slightly wider role. If Alonso can improve the system and get to a stage where he can integrate the players, Chelsea will be a force to be reckoned with.
Speaking to journalists, Alonso gave a glimpse of his understanding of the game. The Blues manager said: “It was a complete performance today. We were in control for most parts of the game so I’m pleased with that.
“We had good stability. In the first half we had a few defensive situations and in the second half we were not in control until we made it 4-1 after conceding a goal in eight minutes.
“But overall, I’m happy with the controls and the performance. There’s a lot of positives to take into the future and build on.”
On the importance of maintaining balance in the middle of the park with Caicedo and Henderson, Alonso said: “Both are different in terms of quality but also in terms of positioning.
“I think they help each other well and give presence, stability. You know they’re going to help the rest because they understand the game, not just because of their quality.
“They can play in shorter spaces but they have a good balance in defence. For me it’s important that we strengthen that area and certainly Moises and Hendo played today, it was his second game.
“Romeo [Lavia] also, he played some good minutes, reece [James] played a little there for a few minutes and [Valentin] Barco so we have to continue to build around that…”