According to BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea have made the most of the recent international break, as evidenced by their commanding 5-1 victory over Bournemouth.
Before the hiatus, Xabi Alonso's side suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brentford and had conceded a worrying total of 12 goals. The manager took this time to tweak his tactics, implementing a three-man defence that saw the Blues drop deeper and refine their pressing structure.
With only 16 first-team players available, Alonso was in a better position than many of his rivals, notably Manchester City, who lost 18 players to international duty, and Arsenal, who lost 17.
To rehearse their new strategies, the club arranged a closed-door friendly against Portsmouth. This period also allowed several key players to regain fitness.
Moisés Caicedo returned from injury to bolster the midfield, while João Pedro netted a brace against Bournemouth. Cole Palmer successfully completed his rehabilitation and played the full 90 minutes.
The tactical work on set-pieces also bore fruit, with Jordan Henderson scoring a fifth goal that highlighted the planning of coach Austin McPhee.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Londoners, as Jaymi Gittens picked up an ankle injury while on duty with the England U21s. On the upside, young talents Yorrell Hato, Estevao Willian, and Geovany Kenda gained valuable experience with their national teams.
