Chelsea's Spanish Manager Xabi Alonso gestures on the touchline
Chelsea’s Spanish Manager Xabi Alonso gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on October 24, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Chelsea fans have identified three key mistakes Xabi Alonso made in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham. It is only the second time Spurs have beaten the Blues at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League era.
The Chelsea Chronicle’s player ratings clearly show it was a day to forget for the entire team, with Pedro Neto top-scoring at 6/10. Yet Alonso may have been worse than any of his players, as the Blues’ tactics were exploited throughout the game against their London rivals.
Chelsea supporters on TalkingPoints did not hold back in their criticism of Alonso after his third defeat of the 2026/27 season. Here are the three main issues fans had with the Spaniard’s approach, which flopped against Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Spurs taught Chelsea a lesson in playing out from the back
Chelsea have not been afraid to concede possession, as it gives their attackers more space to run into on the counterattack. Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto have all excelled on fast breaks this season.
The Blues have also backed themselves to hunt the opposition in packs and win the ball back high up the pitch. This creates panic in the backline and, once again, puts Chelsea’s dynamic front four in positions to thrive.
However, Spurs have clearly been working on playing out from the back under Roberto De Zerbi and had the confidence to welcome pressure from Chelsea’s forwards. They consistently played around the Blues’ press to start attacks, but also went long when it was necessary.
This led to Tottenham’s record-breaking 69% possession, as they bossed the game from start to finish and limited Chelsea to just a few half-chances. At some point, Alonso should have told his players to stop going direct and build up play like De Zerbi’s side.
As one fan commented, it was a “total embarrassment” that Chelsea played so negatively for 90 minutes at home to a fierce rival. If the Blues cannot string three passes together against a side that has finished 17th two years in a row, they can forget about challenging for major trophies anytime soon.
Chelsea were overrun in midfield without Romeo Lavia
One explanation for Chelsea’s inability to retain possession was that they were outnumbered in the centre of the pitch. Spurs had James Maddison, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes up against Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson in central midfield.
Henderson had played exceptionally well in the Blues’ last two games, so it made sense for him to start, but could Romeo Lavia have played alongside them? If not, the Belgian midfielder should at least have replaced Henderson at half-time.
While Henderson has a remarkable engine and covers more distance than his teammates, Lavia is far more comfortable on the ball than the Liverpool legend. Especially against Tottenham’s three-man midfield, Lavia’s press resistance would have allowed Chelsea to escape Spurs’ pressure and progress the ball to Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer in the final third.
One supporter claimed the match had Lavia’s name “written all over it”, while another suggested Xabi Alonso’s three-defender formation is always likely to cause midfield problems. That is probably a step too far, as there are viable solutions, such as playing a 3-5-2.
Danny Welbeck should have started in Joao Pedro’s absence
Joao Pedro’s absence was always going to make the game tougher for Chelsea; he is the second-best striker in the Premier League behind Erling Haaland. However, it is not as though Xabi Alonso had no other centre-forwards available to him.
Summer signing Emmanuel Emegha remains injured, but Danny Welbeck was on the bench. Many believe the 35-year-old should have started up front instead of playing Morgan Rogers out of position against Spurs. Rogers and Cole Palmer looked lost in a front two without Pedro’s runs and hold-up play.
At least Welbeck would have given Chelsea a focal point to aim for if they wanted to play directly, as well as a natural goalscorer to take up dangerous positions inside the box. Palmer delivered a great cross in the first half, but no Blues player had gambled to get on the end of it for an easy headed finish.
Chelsea supporters were not only frustrated that Welbeck did not start, but they could not understand why he was not introduced until the 90th minute, when they were already 2-0 down. He should have come on alongside Estevao Willian in the 73rd minute at the latest.
Alonso has been accused of “underestimating” Tottenham by thinking he could get away with a fluid attack without a recognised striker. Others questioned why he signed Welbeck if he could not trust him to play more than a few minutes when chasing a goal.