Chelsea struggled to break down Luton Town's defence on Thursday, and Alonso believes it was a good "lesson".
Chelsea will be hoping to take the Luton win in their stride when they face Brighton.
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Xabi Alonso has urged Chelsea players to take the Carabao Cup win over Luton Town as a lesson in attacking low-block defences.
Chelsea had a harder time than expected dispatching League One side Luton Town in the Carabao Cup second-round tie on Thursday.
It went well in the end with Chelsea securing a 2-0 win, thanks to Danny Welbeck’s debut goal and a Hakeem Odoffin own goal, but it was clear there was room for improvement in breaking down the persistent low defensive line.
Even Alonso admitted so, highlighting the need for equally persistent attack when facing this type of defence.
“We needed play with patience,” Alonso pointed out in his post-match interview with Sky Sports.
“Luton were defending with heart, they were solid, so we knew that against that team that if they defend that low, it's not easy. At half-time, we spoke to be patient and keep going.
“It's the first time we have played against a low block this season; we have to prepare for when teams play in that way.”
Alonso convinced Chelsea will face more low blocks going forward
Luton played in a defensive 5-4-1 structure, which proved quite effective in neutralising Chelsea’s attackers. This was quite a surprise because Chelsea started their star players, such as Estevao, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers.
Alonso described the game as a “lesson” for his side.
“Yeah, overall the team's performance has been serious, and for sure it's a performance to learn how to attack a low block,” the Spaniard explained in his post-match press conference.
“The 5-4-1 is not easy against any team of any league. We need to learn from today and we will face this context in other games as well.”
After a goalless first-half, Welbeck broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a typical striker’s header from close range from a Malo Gusto cross.
One goal is usually enough to force the defending team to open up the game to try to get an equaliser. This was not the case with Luton Town, who stuck to their guns with defensive counter-attacking football, which was understandable given the gap in quality between the two sides.
Chelsea finally doubled their lead in the 79th minute, essentially putting the game to bed, after Estevao’s strike forced a poor clearance from Luton defender Odofin that hit the back of his own net.
Still, low blocks remain a threat to this Chelsea side. On many occasions last season, they got frustrated by the opposition's resolute defence, threw more bodies into attack, and got caught on the counter-attack at the back.
That said, this is also a different Chelsea side under a new manager and with plenty of summer attacking reinforcements.
This team is more open to trying to score than simply keeping possession to pin the opposition back, as shown by Chelsea's 27 shots from 45 touches in the opposition box in their Carabao Cup win. There is room for improvement in shot accuracy, since only seven were on target, but it is another matter.
With the quality of the likes of Joao Pedro, Palmer, and Rogers at their disposal, Chelsea will be confident they can always find a way to score, even if it is through sheer individual brilliance.