Xabi Alonso enjoyed a promising start to life at Chelsea, but defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland have left a sour taste.
Mike Penders of Chelsea applauds the fans after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Sunderland and Chelsea FC at Stadium of Light on November 08, 2026 in Sunderland, England
Mike Penders has done well in the absence of Emiliano Martinez.(Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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Mike Penders believes Chelsea have made good progress under Xabi Alonso.
The 44-year-old, who was appointed manager in the summer and became the first to receive such a title at Stamford Bridge since Jose Mourinho in 2013, has enjoyed a promising start to life in the dugout, helping the Blues mount a bid for qualification to the UEFA Champions League.
Although Chelsea suffered a disappointing defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon, they sit fifth in the Premier League and trail Liverpool in fourth by just two points. After 10 games, only Manchester City and Brighton have scored more goals than the Blues in the English top-flight.
Chelsea have scored a hatful of goals under Alonso, but they've struggled to keep the back door shut. Just six teams have conceded more goals than the Blues, and they've only managed to record one clean sheet.
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In an interview with club media ahead of the international break, Penders reflected on what Chelsea's start to life under the Spaniard. The Blues goalkeeper began by pointing out that his side are not the finished product and that Alonso has yet to implement all of his ideas.
Chelsea have generally deployed a back-three on paper, which shifts to a back-four out of possession, but injuries to key players have often forced Alonso to tweak the system week by week.
"If you watch some of the last games, we played pretty well," Penders said. "The structure is getting better, and it’s a pity that we have lost this game [against Sunderland]. It’s a matter of staying together.
"I think we’ve had some good games, but after losing these games, we have to stick together. It’s the international break now, so we can calm our heads, and when we come back we need to all be motivated and go again."
Mike Penders made a fantastic save to deny Bryan Mbeumo in Chelsea's win over Manchester United on Saturday
Mike Penders made a fantastic save to deny Bryan Mbeumo in Chelsea's win over Manchester United(Image: Glyn Kirk/AFP)
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On the defeat to the Black Cats, Penders added: "Very disappointed with the result. You know when you come here to their stadium that it will be a difficult game, and they fought very hard.
"At one point, it went very fast from side to side. Sometimes we had control and, of course, in certain moments when you go higher up the pitch, they will be very aggressive, and the way they play is very difficult.
"In the second half they dropped very low and had every man behind the ball, so we had a bit more control, and we had to push. We had some chances, but it was difficult against 11 behind the ball to find the right spaces.
"We kept pushing, especially in the last 15 minutes; we kept dropping balls at them, but it wasn’t enough."
Penders will soon report for international duty with Belgium. Alonso will closely monitor the 21-year-old, who will hope to feature when the Red Devils face Turkey and Italy in the UEFA Nations League.
If Penders gets the nod over Senne Lammens, he'll need to make a good impression, with Emiliano Martinez ready to replace him between the sticks at Chelsea ahead of the festive period.