Chelsea’s low possession stats under Xabi Alonso – what does it mean for their Premier League campaign and does it matter?

As a participant, Alonso was the most effective ball-playing midfielders that the sport has ever seen, and his Bayer Leverkusen group received reward throughout the continent for the best way they used the ball.

It’s the lowest dwelling possession that Chelsea have recorded within the Premier League since Opta started recording knowledge within the 2003/04 season.

Diving into the info

First up, let us take a look at the possession and passing knowledge for Chelsea within the first two Premier League video games underneath Alonso.

Now let’s check out what we noticed from Alonso in his earlier stops as a supervisor.

A few caveats. The plain one is that we have had simply two Premier League video games for Chelsea to date.

The second is round Alonso’s first season at Leverkusen, the place the 2 stats are lowest. Do not forget that he took over Leverkusen in October, with the membership already within the relegation zone.

There was a level of him getting the basics in place to get the season again on monitor earlier than he carried out extra of his fashion within the following two seasons.

The info clearly exhibits us that Alonso’s groups are typically ball-dominant with a excessive passing accuracy, albeit it is price remembering that each La Liga and the Bundesliga are typically thought of barely weaker leagues than the Premier League.

Though no-one is anticipating this development from Chelsea to proceed, it has been speculated as to whether or not they is perhaps a typically lower-possession group and whether or not that could be a viable technique within the Premier League.

Wanting on the knowledge, it’s typically not advisable. Since Opta started monitoring knowledge within the 2003/04 season, solely twice has a group made it into the highest 4 with a possession stat underneath 50% – Everton within the 2004/05 season and Leicester Metropolis within the 2015/16 season.

You’ll be able to common marginally over 50% and nonetheless make it into the highest 4, however averaging underneath 50% throughout the size of a season typically doesn’t work out.

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Why is that this taking place?

For a group to have a median of 32% possession throughout two video games is noteworthy in any context. For a group with the gamers and supervisor that Chelsea have, much more so.

One factor to notice, that’s fairly tough to truly quantify, is that in each video games Chelsea scored very early. Towards Fulham, Joao Pedro scored within the first minute of the sport and towards Brighton, Romeo Lavia opened the scoring throughout the first 5 minutes.

These two video games took barely totally different paths to get to the top consequence (a Chelsea win) however there is not any query that once you rating that early, the sport dynamic modifications slightly, with the opposition compelled to chase the sport extra.

The opposite apparent factor to say has been the make-up of Chelsea’s midfield in each video games.

Alonso has opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation with Moises Caicedo and Reece James beginning in midfield towards Fulham, after which Lavia and, theoretically, Malo Gusto towards Brighton, albeit the latter did drift fairly large with Cole Palmer dropping deeper.

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There’s nothing inherently fallacious with these midfields, however they don’t actually set you up for ball domination.

There’s a motive why Alonso was reportedly pushing so onerous for Granit Xhaka earlier in the summertime, and why gamers like Adam Wharton, Alex Scott and Lamine Camara proceed to be linked with The Blues late within the window.

If Enzo Fernandez does depart, then Chelsea should herald an additional midfielder, and it’s clear that the profile they’re taking a look at is perhaps stronger retaining possession compared to what the Argentinian delivered to the group.

Alonso not apprehensive

It is necessary to emphasize right here that Alonso himself isn’t involved and was eager to emphasize the truth that they went three targets up towards Brighton so early.

“It’s worthwhile to have context to each knowledge for certain,” Alonso stated after the sport.

“After half-hour we now have scored [to make it] 3-0, most likely in that second we now have performed an excessive amount of with the consequence as a substitute of maintain taking part in. So the info isn’t necessary, it’s the way you play and what we will do higher.

“However it’s by no means that strategy, I don’t say at the moment we have to have 60% or 20%. I by no means speak about these issues, it’s about tips on how to put together, tips on how to be extra aggressive.

“However the good factor is that that you must adapt, even through the recreation there are totally different moments and a few moments that we now have accomplished actually, very well and different moments that we will do higher.”

Chelsea journey to north London subsequent week to tackle Premier League champions Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, so these stats might not see a dramatic rise.

It’ll, nonetheless, be fascinating to see how they develop over the season as Alonso imprints extra of his philosophy on the group.