Chelsea files: Xabi Alonso’s academy orders dash fans’ hope and the bad omen for Spaniard after just five games

XABI ALONSO’S first five Premier League games have been thrilling, ridiculous and worrying in equal measure.

And they have also now drawn comparison to a rather unfortunate season from just over a decade ago.

The 12 goals Alonso’s side have conceded across their opening five games match the club record for the most shipped across that many games in the Premier League.

The last time the Blues were this leaky at the start of the season, things did not go too well.

In 2015-16, under , were Premier League champions but got off to an incredibly rocky start, losing three of their opening five, winning one and drawing one.

Alonso’s side have, at least, won twice and lost one fewer than that Mourinho team.

And while Alonso is nowhere near as volatile as the man he played hundreds of games under at , he will know as well as anyone that Mourinho was gone before Christmas that season.

Most goals Chelsea have conceded in their opening five games…

Season 2026-27 GA 12
Season 2015-16 GA 12
Season 2019-20 GA 11
Season 2020-21 GA 9
Season 1994-95 GA 8
Season 2002-03 GA 8
Season 2022-23 GA 8

QUIET COBHAM

IT will be a quiet week at Cobham early in this extended international break, and seemingly for the majority of it.

From Under-17 level and up, the Blues have 22 players away with their national teams over the next few weeks.

Those who are staying behind, or like who have after being selected, have a solid block of time to fix the early niggles of Xabi Alonso’s tenure.

Before they get to that, most have been given a week off at the start of the break. Some are remaining around the club to continue recovery, but many will be heading off for a quick holiday.

Once players are back, there are currently no behind-closed-doors friendlies to keep their level up, which means Alonso will have uninterrupted time on the training pitches to try and recover from a rocky start.

WHAT’S NEXT?

CHELSEA made a big song and dance about re-branding their academy as Cobham Next Gen, rather than simply their Under-21s.

They are not the first club to have done so, have their youngsters playing as their Elite Development Squad.

But the Blues new moniker does not seem to have caught on just yet.

It was notable that when the teamsheets were handed out at Adams Park ahead of the EFL Cup game with Wycombe, the visitors were simply listed as Chelsea Under-21.

HEART AND SOL

ONE thing which has changed, and stuck, at academy level is the playing style.

It is common-place for managers to ask the younger groups to mirror the way the first team play and Xabi Alonso is no different.

Chelsea’s academy coaches and players have been asked to implement Alonso’s fluid back-three system.

It was notable last week that Under-21 winger Sol Gordon was playing the Pedro Neto role of dropping in as a wing-back when the Blues were not on the ball and getting forwards as soon as possession changed hands.

There has been some hope from sections of the fanbase that Alonso would eventually land on playing a back four, but given he is asking the youngsters to play this way there seems little chance of that.

HOMECOMING HERO

A FORMER Blue has headed home this week.

Chelsea loan legend Matt Miazga has returned to his home city to join Major League Soccer’s .

Miazga, 31, joined Chelsea from their Big Apple rivals, , in 2016 but only ever made two Premier League appearances.

During his time on the books at Stamford Bridge, however, there were five separate loan deals across Europe with Vitesse, Nantes, Reading, Anderlecht and Alaves.

The defender permanently left the Blues in 2022 and joined MLS side FC Cincinnati, though his contract was bought out last week.

On joining NYCFC, the club joined after leaving the Premier League, Miazga said: “We have an important stretch ahead of us, and I’m ready to do everything I can to help the team compete for the playoffs and make a strong run through the rest of the season.”