Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea problem: creating chances without controlling games

Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea are fifth after ten Premier League matches, but their position tells only part of the story. They have produced more shots on target than any other side while allowing opponents almost as many at the other end.

After the defeat at Sunderland, Chelsea had registered 53 shots on target and faced 50, with only Crystal Palace allowing more, according to the BBC’s analysis.

Those totals do not measure the quality of every opportunity. They do, however, illustrate the balance Alonso needs to improve: Chelsea can threaten opponents, but have not consistently controlled what happens around their own goal.

Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea need more than possession

The 1-0 defeat at Sunderland exposed a different problem. Chelsea spent much of the afternoon trying to break down a defence protecting its lead, without creating enough to change the result.

Alonso acknowledged the shortcomings on the club’s website: “We missed a bit of patience and a bit of quality, creativity in the last third to create more chances.”

That distinction matters. Having the ball is useful only if Chelsea can move opponents, find space and create worthwhile openings. When they lose it, they also need enough protection behind the attack to prevent the game becoming stretched.

Neither problem is solved simply by choosing a back three or a back four.

Injuries explain some changes, but not every decision

Chelsea made 24 starting-line-up changes across their opening ten league games. Only Tottenham made more.

That figure needs context. Alonso has been dealing with absences including Reece James, João Pedro, Maxence Lacroix and Jorrel Hato. Josh Acheampong also missed Sunderland, while Emiliano Martínez was not ready to return.

A settled team is difficult to establish when several options are unavailable. Calling every adjustment “tinkering” overlooks that disruption.

There are still tactical choices to examine. At Sunderland, Alonso selected Jordan Henderson, Roméo Lavia and Moisés Caicedo together, then changed the balance again at half-time by introducing Estêvão for Levi Colwill and moving Caicedo deeper.

That was an attempt to chase the game. It should be assessed as a tactical decision, rather than grouped with the injuries that restricted his initial selection.

The Pedro Neto decision deserves scrutiny

João Pedro’s absence has removed an important attacking option, but Chelsea were not without a recognised striker at Sunderland.

Danny Welbeck was available from the bench and went close after coming on. Alonso nevertheless started Pedro Neto centrally for a second successive league match.

There can be benefits to using a winger through the middle, including movement across the front line. Against a defence sitting deep, though, Chelsea also need someone occupying the centre-backs and providing a target in the penalty area.

The question is whether Neto’s movement gave Chelsea enough to compensate for what they lost centrally. The Sunderland performance offered little evidence that the balance was right.

What improvement against Leeds should look like

Chelsea’s next task is to turn those questions into a more coherent performance against Leeds.

That does not necessarily require an unchanged team or one permanent formation. It requires clearer relationships: support around the central attacker, passing options when opponents defend deep and protection when possession breaks down.

Five wins, one draw and four defeats have left Chelsea with 16 points. There is room to improve without treating every setback as a crisis.

But patience should come with identifiable progress. As our Sunderland match report showed, Chelsea need more than long spells on the ball. Alonso’s challenge is to make their attacking threat more reliable while giving opponents fewer opportunities to hurt them.

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