The full transcript from Xabi Alonso's post-match press conference following Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium
Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso following Chelsea's defeat at Arsenal(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA)
View Image
Xabi Alonso has completed his post-match press conference after his first defeat as Chelsea manager.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Despite making the dream start against their London rivals, with Morgan Rogers scoring after just over a minute, the Gunners found a way back into the game later in the first-half through Kai Havertz's low strike.
Martin Odegaard scored what turned out to be the winning goal for Arsenal at the start of the second period with Chelsea unable to find a late equaliser.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
football.london were live in Alonso's press conference - and here is every word the Spaniard had to say.
What did you make of the performance and was it a fair result?
It has been a game with different momentums, different stages. We started the game well, scoring first. The next 15 minutes, they were pushing us hard. We were defending low and struggled to get a little bit more, having the ball to be able to play a little bit more on the pitch. So, yeah, those 15 minutes were hard and we had to suffer. Once we have conceded the goal, I think that the game came back to the even level from them, from us.
We have had a couple of good chances before the end of the first half, but at half-time we spoke; it was a very close game, very intense, when we had to have a really high level of concentration, not to give many advantages to them, to be in the game, to be fighting for it. And for sure, the second goal, we could have done a little bit better. It's part of the game you need to accept, because they are top side and they push you to the limits. They overload a lot on the left side with many players. And after that run from Odegaard, but we have kept going. The team showed really good desire and good spirit to fight till the end. We were close with a chance from Estevao [Willian], so it's a defeat. We are disappointed. It needs to hurt, but it needs to hurt in a positive way, because it's just game three, still many games to play and we know it was going to be a very intense game today.
These games are quite high intensity, they're very end-to-end. Is this what you want these games to look like?
I want to compete in the best possible way to win. Today we didn't want to sit deep from the first minute and to wait and to make a long game. We wanted to be active, we wanted to be protagonists in the pressing, sometimes to go higher, sometimes lower, to have good possessions. And we have done many right things.
We need to make it better, we need to learn from them, because this is the top level. When we have to play top level, we want to be as efficient and as accurate in all the phases of the game. But this is where we are, this is game three for us of this new start, this new phase that we are starting with Chelsea. But I'm happy with the spirit and the attitude from the players. They have given everything, they have tried and they fought really hard.
Seven goals conceded in the first three games - is sorting the defence out your biggest priority?
My priority is to win games and for that, normally it's easier when you don't concede many games. So for sure, this is something that we need to address. We want to do better, we want to be tighter, to be more clinical, more balanced. But this takes time as well.
Chelsea have not been particularly competitive at this stadium in the last few years. What have you learned from a team in a performance like this where you are able to keep pushing?
We wanted to compete, we wanted to win here, we came to win. We knew that we were not that far, but it went their way. We could have scored [to make it] 2-1 and you never know what happens. But I'm not saying that the result is the result, I'm not fighting against that. But we need to take it in a not happy, it hurts, disappointed for sure. But this is the first defeat in a row, this is going to be a long way and it doesn't have a big impact in our mood and in our mindset.
Mikel Arteta just said today's win for Arsenal indicates that his team can become better than they were last season. What do you think of the way today has gone and what it indicates for your team?
I will talk about us. I think that today's game we will take many things for the next one as we have done so far after Fulham, after Brighton, after Luton. We want to squeeze everything after each game to make it better. When we win, but when you lose as well. And this is the process where we are, where we want to build strong principles and strong ideas for our game. Ultimately to win games, compete in the best possible way.
Moises Caicedo was missing with an injury again today. Is there a longer term problem?
No, not longer term, but it's about assessing the risk. Probably last week we took him too early and I don't want to make the same mistake again.
How much did you miss Caicedo today and Levi Colwill?
It's easy after the defeat to talk about the players that you are missing. I'm not going to go there. I'm happy with the players we have. For sure, you need to deal with injuries. For sure, Mikel has to deal with injuries. All the managers, we need to deal with suspension, with injuries. To have all the players available in all the games is impossible. But we need them because they are top players. And with them, we are a better team.
Get YOUR Chelsea Newsletter
All the best news, features, updates and analysis from Bobby Vincent and more straight to your Inbox!
Yours in just two simple steps.
Enter your email and hit Subscribe.