Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Even Mikel Arteta is giving Chelsea some praise after the Blues’ brilliant start to the season.
Chelsea finally look like a side with a real blueprint under Xabi Alonso. The frantic, guesswork football is gone, replaced by sharp positional play and a squad that actually looks like it knows its role.
But for all the attacking fluidness, the defense remains a glaring head-scratcher. The Blues still leak sloppy chances, and are about to get their first true challenge this weekend against Arsenal.
The Gunners come into this firing on all cylinders with two wins from two, making this London derby the ultimate test of where Alonso’s project is at.
Mikel Arteta gives Chelsea praise for summer business
Chelsea actually brought in real quality this summer instead of just hoarding talent. Adding proven stars like Morgan Rogers has transformed the squad overnight.
However, the Blues’ best move was landing Xabi Alonso. Bringing in a manager of his caliber gives Chelsea the direction they’ve desperately needed on the sideline.
And that’s something that Mikel Arteta has noticed, as he praised the business that Chelsea have conducted this summer.
He was asked, “Are you surprised how well his Chelsea have done so quickly – like you, they’ve won both.”
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “No surprise. No surprise because obviously you see the magnitude and the stature of that football club, the history that they have, the squad that they have, the squad that they built against this summer and the quality that Xabi has as a manager and the clear ideas that he’s going to install on that on that team to make them successful.”
Chelsea face an anxious wait on Moises Caicedo
The Blues face an anxious wait over Moises Caicedo’s situation for Arsenal, having not featured at all for Chelsea since returning from the World Cup.
According to Simon Phillips, Caicedo may only make the bench against Arsenal, while some at the club want him to be fully rested until after the September international break.
It’s likely that Romeo Lavia will occupy the midfield role again, but Alonso may lean on the experience of Jordan Henderson or give Valentin Barco a chance.