Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Xabi Alonso suffered his first defeat as Chelsea manager on Sunday after losing 2-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates.
Chelsea managed to get off to a positive start after Morgan Rogers scored inside two minutes, his second goal for the club since his £117m move from Aston Villa during the summer.
However, former Blue Kai Havertz managed to equalise before Martin Odegaard scored the winner for his side. Chelsea were without Moises Caicedo, but Alonso is not making any excuses.
Chelsea player ratings vs Arsenal
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Xabi Alonso won’t pin Arsenal defeat on injuries
Caicedo was a doubt heading into the game, and in the end, the midfielder could not make the matchday squad despite some initial hope.
Levi Colwill could only make the bench because of a small fitness issue, but Alonso is not blaming injuries for his team’s defeat in north London.
Speaking after the game via Chelsea’s official club website, Alonso said: “It’s easy after defeats to talk about the players that you are missing. I’m not going to go there, I am happy with the players that we have.
“For sure, all the managers need to deal with injuries, with suspensions. To have all the players available for all the games is impossible. But we need [Caicedo and Colwill] because they are top players and with them we are a better team.”
Moisés Caicedo of Chelsea goes down injured
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While neither Colwill nor Caicedo got onto the pitch on Sunday, Chelsea were still very competitive in the London derby.
Odegaard described Chelsea as a “tough opponent” and admitted that Alonso’s men made the encounter a very difficult one.
Chelsea are missing Moises Caicedo
It is nice not hearing managers make excuses, but the reality is Chelsea are suffering without having Caicedo in midfield.
They are getting cut through so easily, which is exactly what happened before Odegaard’s winner. It is no wonder that Chelsea are conceding so many goals right now.
In three Premier League games, they have already let in seven goals. The team have to improve there, as they cannot expect the attack to outscore every opponent. They could not do that on Sunday.
Ultimately, had Caicedo played, the scoreline could have been a very different one. Looking at Chelsea’s squad, it is lacking an alternative with the same skill set as Caicedo. It is why Lamine Camara could have been a really good signing for the Blues.