Xabi Alonso has told Chelsea fans that the team are currently prioritising their attacking play, and that the time will come when they will turn their attention to defence.
Chelsea have scored freely under Alonso but their defensive record is a concern. They have conceded more goals than all but one Premier League side, and the loss of their captain Reece James, who is expected to be out for three months, leaves the manager with further decisions to make as he tries to tighten up his team.
James had surgery on Friday after missing last Saturday’s 5-1 victory over Bournemouth. Alonso changed his approach for that match, with Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson forming a midfield partnership and Chelsea adopting a more compact 4-4-2 shape without the ball.
The manager was encouraged by the response and wants to see further progress at Everton on Saturday. He accepts that clean sheets will be important if Chelsea are to challenge for trophies, although he believes his team need time to settle into their new approach.
“You need a lot of clean sheets to win trophies,” Alonso said. “But you [also] need to score a lot of goals. So it’s about being strong in defence, being good in attack and we are in that process.
“We are still early days. To do a very deep analysis, it’s too early. We can maybe talk in February. Those tweaks, they need to come naturally and we are not in that moment yet.”
Alonso said Chelsea’s priority was to compete consistently and expressed confidence that the defensive improvements would follow.
“The obsession is to win and to compete in the best possible way,” he said. “The clean sheets will come, I’m pretty sure of that, because we want to play with good balance and good control.”
Pre-training competition! 😅 https://t.co/NUN40Rc5wd
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 15, 2026
Caicedo and Henderson could continue together in midfield, but Alonso stressed that Chelsea would need other options as the season progresses. Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco are also in his plans, and the manager indicated that he would sometimes use three central midfielders.
He praised the understanding between Caicedo and Henderson against Bournemouth, with the latter’s energy complementing the Ecuador international’s positional discipline.
“In terms of personalities, Moi and Hendo match very well,” Alonso said. “Hendo has this energy to go. He’s very active. He covers a lot of the pitch. And to find the balance with Moi … that he’s more in the position, that he has this stability to be in good distances with everything, it was a good start.”
Lavia’s availability has been an important development after previous injury problems. Alonso said the midfielder had performed well for Belgium during the recent international break and was now in a position to contribute regularly for Chelsea.
“Romeo is in a good moment. He played very well with Belgium. He’s super available. It’s been difficult for him [with injuries] but this season he’s been available and has done really well,” Alonso said.
“We need to keep him with the other midfielders because that area is fundamental for our game.”
Barco has also impressed the manager with his approach in the minutes he has played. Alonso highlighted the Argentine’s willingness to compete regardless of the opposition.
“The minutes he has played with us, he has been very competitive. He doesn’t care who is the opponent. He goes. That warrior, fighting spirit he brings is very positive.”
