Chelsea's disappointing defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge has left supporters fuming. The loss, which was only Spurs' second win on Chelsea's turf in the Premier League, has prompted harsh criticism of manager Xabi Alonso.
The fate of the match turned in the final 15 minutes as goalkeeper Mike Penders inadvertently scored an own goal on his Premier League debut, followed by Mathys Tel doubling the visitors' advantage after Cole Palmer's red card left Chelsea a man down.
Frustrated fans have taken to social media to blame Alonso for what they perceived as a passive and cowardly approach, lacking pressing and coherence in possession. Here’s how some supporters reacted to the Spanish manager's tactics:
Vdyk: “We had no control of the ball, no quality of possession, and no proper pressing or counter-pressing. This is NOT the Alonso I wanted to see at Chelsea, and certainly not the coach who went a season unbeaten with Bayer. We are playing like COWARDS, and it comes from HIM...”
CFCPys: “Xabi got everything completely wrong. Sitting back and ceding possession at Stamford Bridge is unacceptable, especially against Tottenham. We needed to harness the energy of the crowd. We were far too PASSIVE. Alonso has a monumental task ahead if he wants to win back the fans' trust.”
Shed: “Xabi Alonso is responsible for this defeat; it was a disgraceful and embarrassing performance. We hadn't lost to Tottenham at home since 2018, and here we are, beaten 0-2 with Alonso at the helm. I won’t call for his sacking, but this is how managers gradually lose the fans' confidence.”
ConnCFC: “I just don’t get Alonso’s decisions today. We played without Welbeck, and yet we kept lumping it forward instead of taking control of the game. Not to mention, why was Lavia not brought on? It’s hard to believe Alonso left things unchanged for so long.”
JnR: “Xabi Alonso saw how Tottenham dismantled us in pre-season and then delivered an even worse plan for the home game. This isn’t just a reaction to emotions; it was one of the worst managerial performances in Chelsea’s history. The defeat is squarely on him.”
