Xabi Alonso has provided insight into Chelsea's tactical adjustments ahead of their trip to Everton. The manager detailed a 4-4-2 setup without the ball, the responsibilities of his midfielders, the team's impressive scoring form, and the imperative to tighten up defensively.
Alonso was asked about the importance of expected goals, with Chelsea currently outpacing their xG figures. Can this level of scoring be maintained?
I hope so.
Our aim is to keep going in the same way.
However, we haven’t discussed enough how many goals we’ve been conceding.
If we can maintain our current scoring while also reducing the goals we let in, we'll be in a much better position.
But we need to take it one match at a time. Everton will be a tough game for us.
We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be intense, very demanding, and at a high tempo.
I’ve never been to that stadium, but I’ve heard it’s fantastic with a great atmosphere. We can’t wait for the match.
With this being his first away match after facing Brentford, Alonso emphasized the importance of learning from that experience. What does he want to see against Everton?
I want us to compete and understand what it takes to win away matches in the Premier League, especially in challenging environments.
There’s a lot of energy and emotion generated.
We need to cope with that not just through football, but also with character and determination.
We haven’t forgotten the lessons from the Brentford match.
Against Bournemouth, Chelsea deployed a 4-4-2 formation without the ball. How did Alonso assess his team's performance and what prompted that tactical choice?
We want to be flexible while ensuring reliability.
Whether we press high or sit a little deeper, what matters is the distances between players and maintaining balance.
We chose that approach against Bournemouth.
Everton will be a totally different opponent; they have many strong and experienced players.
But our principles remain the same.
It could be 4-4-2, or even 5-2-3, but for the defence, it’s essential to get the distances right, to support each other, and to have the right balance.
Playing with the ball is a different story.
Regarding the midfielders when out of possession: it appeared they played a crucial role in supporting both central and wide defenders, especially when pushing forward. What does Alonso expect from his midfielders primarily?
Midfielders have to make a huge number of decisions throughout the match.
Many of these small decisions may seem insignificant from the outside but are incredibly important.
They need to be thinking one step ahead of the game.
We're working on this with Moises Caicedo, Hendon, Romeo Lavia, and Valentino Barco.
When this works well, the whole team tends to play better.
In the last match, Hendon and Moises performed excellently and made the right decisions.
When midfielders get it right, they elevate the performance of those around them because they’re at the heart of the action.
It's vital to embrace the responsibility that comes with being in that position.
Players often mention Alonso's pre-match speeches. Morgan Rogers, for instance, noted that he has a knack for inspiring the team. Does he prepare these addresses in advance or go with the flow?
It all happens in the moment.
I don’t want to take credit for that.
It’s the players who do the work.
Sometimes you say a lot, and then you lose, so I don’t take credit after wins or losses.
But, of course, a coach needs to have an impact because the emotional side of football is crucial.
Sometimes the speech is more natural; other times, it’s more tactical.
It really depends on the moment and how I feel.
I’m not sure what I’ll say to the team right before the Everton match.
We’ll see when I arrive at the stadium and feel the atmosphere at Goodison... or should I say Hill Dickinson now? I’m old-fashioned!
Chelsea are certainly an intriguing team to follow at the moment. But to tighten up defensively, will he have to sacrifice something in attack? Can they continue to score freely while playing so daringly?
No, we don’t need to sacrifice that.
I believe clean sheets will come.
It shouldn’t become an obsession for us. Our main goal is to win and compete to the best of our ability.
Clean sheets will arrive, I’m confident of that.
We want to play with good balance and control.
And we’ll still create chances because our attacking potential is fantastic.
The players have great chemistry and understanding between them.
We need to continue maximising those qualities while also working on consistency.
So far, we haven’t been entirely happy, but I’m sure we can improve in that department in the upcoming period.
