Xabi Alonso has said that his focus will be on the Premier League when Chelsea host Manchester United on Saturday lunchtime. The Blues have lost their last two outings since beating Everton on Merseyside. They lost 2-0 to Tottenham at home, and then went out at Anfield in the Carabao Cup, 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Alonso said that he believed the team had performed better at Anfield. The Spaniard said this would be “a journey” and that the squad needed to “learn from our tough moments”. The head coach further revealed that his players had done only one day of physical work since returning from Anfield. Meanwhile, Michael Carrick has had an entire week to prepare his players for the game.
Alonso said that the Premier League does not always provide the perfect preparation, but he is confident his players are mentally prepared. The game is clearly a big one for Chelsea, who are currently fifth in the league on 13 points in 8 games. They are two points behind Liverpool and eight points behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal. United come into the game on an eight-match winless streak across all competitions and sit in 16th place on just seven points.
Jordan Henderson Says Xabi Alonso’s Vision For Chelsea Is Taking Shape
Alonso’s talk of a journey is echoed by his senior players. Jordan Henderson joined on a free transfer from Brentford in the summer and has quickly become an important part of the midfield. The 36-year-old scored twice against Bournemouth and helped the Blues to a rare clean sheet at Everton, their first in the Premier League since January.
After the win on the road against Everton earlier this month, Henderson said:
“There’s been a lot of new change in the summer – new coaching staff and players coming in – but I really feel that the togetherness is coming, not only in training during the week on the field, off the field as well.”
That togetherness will be put to the test as they face a struggling United side. Despite an increasingly depleted squad, Chelsea have the advantage of playing at home. All Alonso needs is the winning feeling back in the squad before the trip to Sunderland and the international break that follows.