Jordan Henderson earns Alonso praise for more than his Chelsea double

Jordan Henderson’s two goals helped Chelsea beat Bournemouth 5–1, but Xabi Alonso believes the midfielder’s overall contribution was just as valuable.

Henderson opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge and later added a free-kick as Chelsea returned to winning ways following their 3–0 defeat at Brentford before the international break.

Jordan Henderson impresses beyond the goals

Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Alonso said: “Take away the goals and it was a very good midfield performance.”

The Chelsea head coach highlighted Henderson’s communication, involvement in play and ability to provide options for team-mates.

Henderson partnered Moisés Caicedo in the Chelsea starting line-up against Bournemouth, giving Alonso an experienced midfield pairing for the return to Premier League action.

Chelsea make their early advantage count

Henderson and Morgan Rogers both scored inside the opening three minutes, putting Bournemouth under immediate pressure.

João Pedro made it three shortly after half-time, finishing after work from Pedro Neto. Evanilson pulled a goal back before Pedro’s second and Henderson’s free-kick completed the scoring, as detailed in Chelsea’s match report.

For Henderson, it was a considerably happier afternoon than his Chelsea debut against former club Brentford.

His double supplied the most visible contribution this time, while Alonso’s assessment emphasised the importance of his work between those decisive moments.