Xabi Alonso went into Saturday’s derby without Joao Pedro but exited having suffered his first home defeat as a manager at Chelsea. Tottenham ran out 2-0 winners thanks to a 77th-minute own goal from Mike Penders and a late goal from Mathys Tel. And it was made worse by Cole Palmer receiving a red card.
As a Blues fan, I would love to blame the weather, the referee or even the players. Unfortunately, the signs are that Alonso made some expensive mistakes. There were smart decisions, as well, so here’s my breakdown of what Alonso did well and what Alonso did poorly.
Starting with the positives. Alonso’s back three of Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill did incredibly well. They kept Spurs, who had 68% possession, at bay for 77 minutes. Spurs finished with just 0.74 expected goals and one big chance. They could do little to actually lay siege to Chelsea’s defence.
Lacroix was brilliant, and Moises Caicedo was relentless in his hunt for loose balls in midfield. Alonso’s half-time talk about being patient and keeping their shape was also smart, as they were not getting broken down. The plan was frustrating but not failing until Penders punched the ball into his own net.
Penders was also trusted, which is a positive. He had a great chance to play as Emiliano Martinez was still recovering from jaw surgery, and he made two great saves in the first half. But that’s where all the positives end. The list of negatives is unfortunately much longer.
Alonso’s decision to play Morgan Rogers as a false nine and Geovany Quenda alongside Palmer did not work. Chelsea only managed four shots and 0.25 expected goals in the first half. The front three looked like they were all strangers holding an umbrella together.
Danny Welbeck was also left on the bench until the 88th minute, which caused confusion among many fans, including myself. I’ll be direct and say it was a mistake to play Quenda. Chelsea finished with just seven shots, the fewest they have had in a PL game this season.
The substitutions were also too late. Estevao didn’t come on until the 72nd minute, while Welbeck came on in the 88th. Aside from that, set pieces are still an issue, and Alonso hasn’t resolved this. They have now conceded eight goals from set pieces in the PL, double that of any other team. Although Penders isn’t entirely to blame, the coaching staff need to sort this out quickly.
Alonso doesn’t have much time to think about this, as they have a League Cup game against Liverpool on Wednesday. Then Manchester United come to Stamford Bridge on October 31st, and I would really like to have a striker on the pitch.