Xabi Alonso Chelsea vs Tottenham pre season
Xabi Alonso Chelsea vs Tottenham pre season
Three at the back?
One of the most significant takeaways from Chelsea’s pre-season was the three-at-the-back formation that Alonso opted for in each of the Blues’ last three warm-up fixtures. Seeing Chelsea with three at the back, it's hard not to be reminded of Antonio Conte’s 2017 title-winning side and the attacking threat Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses provided from wing-back.
New signings Marco Palestra (£5.5m) and Pep Chavarria (£5.0m) are two players to watch in this regard. The Italian in particular has caught the eye in pre-season by getting into some very advanced positions.
This formation could also benefit new signing Maxence Lacroix (£6.0m), who thrived in Fantasy last season playing the middle of a back-three at Crystal Palace. This is the position that the Frenchman played against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge. If Alonso opts to play 3-4-3 in the majority of fixtures, Lacroix could prove value for money, despite being £1.0m more expensive than Levi Colwill (£5.0m). Only two defenders notched more Defensive Contribution points than Lacroix last season.
Midfield options
If the Blues’ most recent friendly is anything to go by, then two players in Alonso’s midfield pivot will have plenty of routes to Fantasy points this season. Likely starter Moises Caicedo (£5.5m) racked up 10 defensive contributions in the 76 minutes he played. The Ecuador international also demonstrated his attacking threat on the pre-season tour, notching a goal and an assist from a corner. His partner last weekend was Reece James (£5.5m), who impressed in the middle of the park, picking up an assist and making two key passes.
Joao Pedro’s influence
One player seemingly loving life under Alonso is Joao Pedro (£7.5m). The Brazilian has bounced back from his World Cup omission with seven goals and two assists in just five pre-season matches. After his hat-trick in our first game in Australia, Alonso spoke about how 'he’s very hungry' and 'determined to have a good season' once again. With Cole Palmer (£9.5m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) potentially lining up behind him in the two number 10 positions, expect the former Brighton man to have plenty of goal scoring opportunities.
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