Xabi Alonso gets his Premier League managerial career officially underway on Monday night when Chelsea take on west London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez faces an uncertain future at Chelsea(Image: Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar)
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Exactly 99 days after his appointment as Chelsea manager was confirmed, Xabi Alonso will officially begin his Blues tenure on Monday evening with a trip to west London neighbours Fulham.
After a dismal 2025/26 campaign, things are looking up at Stamford Bridge. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air at the club's Cobham base with Alonso in charge.
Chelsea supporters seem to be undivided with the manager - something that has been rare in recent times, particularly under BlueCo's ownership. It feels like a long, long time coming, and it's not quite here yet, but the day of reckoning is almost upon us.
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Alonso was inevitably coy in Thursday afternoon's pre-match press conference when it came to the team news and how he might set his side up at Craven Cottage. Bobby Vincent and Jake Stokes have given their takes on what they would do if they were in the Spaniard's iconic Adidas Predators.
Bobby Vincent
After seeing the 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 system used in the win against Real Sociedad last weekend, I would like to see something similar in Fulham.
Robert Sanchez would be the goalkeeper I choose for the opening game. Over the course of the season, Mike Penders could overtake the Spaniard but right now, given the context, Sanchez should be in between the posts at Craven Cottage.
With Wesley Fofana suspended, Reece James should start on the right-hand side of a back three. It is a role he has played in before and I'm confident he can do a fantastic job alongside the likes of Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill.
Enzo Fernandez, amid the ongoing speculation over his future, would be my pick alongside Moises Caicedo in the centre of midfield. Alonso said on Thursday that the Argentine can do a job in a slightly deeper role and Monday night could be the time to see that. Of course, there is a big chance he might not start; not just because of his future being up in the air but also the fact he has had less time to work with the first-team squad due to his World Cup commitments.
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez's Chelsea future remains up in the air(Image: Adrian Dennis/AFP)
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Pedro Neto impressed as a right wing-back and I would be tempted to see him there again, with Marco Palestra on the other flank. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers either side of Joao Pedro. That could well be the best attacking trio in the whole league - it certainly has the potential to, anyway, but of course we need to see it in action a bit more before making any final judgements.
Bobby's XI (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Palestra; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro.
Jake Stokes
Alonso trialled and tested a couple of interesting shapes during pre-season before eventually settling on a 3-4-2-1, which, thanks to the profiles at his disposal, can very quickly shift into a back-four if required.
It was in full effect last weekend when Chelsea enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge; it can be just as strong at the back as it is going forward, so it'll be interesting to see how Monday night pans out.
Sanchez should remain between the sticks. If the Blues manager can iron out the Spaniard's lapses of concentration, then he'll be onto a winner. Although I'd like to see Fernandez start in the middle of the park, I wouldn't be surprised if Alonso keeps James alongside Caicedo and plugs Josh Acheampong into right centre-half.
Although Neto has recently been linked with a move away, he should start on the right, with Palestra on the left. Then, up top, the Chelsea gaffer will probably stick with the same front three of Palmer, Rogers, and Joao Pedro.
Jake's XI (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, James, Caicedo, Palestra; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro
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