Premier League: Can Xabi Alonso spark a Chelsea renaissance?

The Premier League season is over and the players are now jetting off to the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. But the news about the Premier League does not die down so easily. Teams are now focusing on summer transfers, new managers are coming in and the news from the biggest league in the world just doesn’t stop. Chelsea have already made a move Xabi Alonso their new coachwhile Anthony Gordon bids farewell to the league and heads to Barcelona.

Chaos ensued at West Ham United following their relegation from the Premier League and Bruno Fernandes continued to show his loyalty to Manchester United.

HOW WILL ALONSO IMPROVE CHELSEA?

Xabi Alonso’s football strategies at Bayer Leverkusen were nothing short of exceptional, and he used methods that many coaches bring to their teams – aggressive pressing and creating chances through dominant possession.

Where he differs from many coaches and the quality he brings to every match is his training methods and organization. He is very good at instructing his team to know exactly where to be and where to go when attacking or defending. Teammates could almost play blindfolded. It’s the same with or without the ball. Like Enzo Maresca before him, Alonso was heavily influenced by Pep Guardiola’s positional football.

He brings with him four coaches from his days at Real Madrid. He will be joined by his longtime assistant Sebastian Parrilla, Alberto Encinas and Beat Labaien along with his fitness coach. Calum MacFarlane, who acted as interim coach until Alonso’s arrival, will also remain at the club.

Alonso regularly uses a three-man defense with two good centre-backs playing the ball either side of a physical defender. However, when you look at the composition of the team as a whole, it is not a regular pattern. One side of the array does not mirror the other. In other words, his teams are asymmetrical, which often confuses opponents.

During his playing days, we enjoyed watching Alonso’s ability to make long diagonal passes with excellent accuracy, but he does not encourage this style in his coaching. Two players who came into their own under Alonso at Leverkusen were Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong, who operated as attacking full-backs. After Granit Xhaka secured possession in midfield, the trio often passed Florian Wirtz into space to create chances.

The game is very similar to Chelsea’s period under Antonio Conte, when Ben Chilwell and Reece James thrived as attacking full-backs. Marc Cucurella is more than capable of taking on this role.

Among the players already at the club, Alonso should work well with Jorrel Hat and Josh Acheampong, who are still raw youngsters and can be molded to his methods. Levi Colwill is excellent at breaking up opposition attacks, while Romeo Lavia can fill a similar role in midfield. Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Enzo Fernandez are all capable of playing vertical passes forward to Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.

There is plenty for Alonso to feel confident about, and with some changes and fresh talent – he has already identified the need for another No.9 striker – next season could be very exciting for Chelsea fans.

BARCELONA BEAT BAYERN AND ANTHONY GORDON

Earlier this year, Newcastle’s chief executive admitted the club would have to sell players in order to buy big stars and strengthen the squad for next season.

Manager Eddie Howe made it clear that Anthony Gordon was one player he did not want to lose, but the winger has been linked with a move away from St James’ Park throughout the year. Now it seems that the move is becoming a reality.

Gordon flew to Barcelona on Thursday for a medical and is expected to sign for one of Europe’s biggest clubs, despite having signed a contract extension with Newcastle in October 2024 with four years remaining.

Howe, aware that he was close to losing his talented winger, did not select Gordon for the last four games to protect him, further fueling speculation of his departure.

Earlier reports linked Gordon with Bayern Munich, where he could join Harry Kane, Michael Olis and Luis Diaz, but Barcelona appear to have beaten them to his signature. His best form came in the Champions League where only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane scored more goals than him. These performances attracted the attention of Europe’s elite clubs.

REASONS FOR THE FALL OF WEST HAM

Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once famously said: “Football is not a matter of life and death. It is much more important than that.”

For West Ham supporters waking up after seeing theirs the beloved club was relegated to the second divisionit must have been like attending a funeral they couldn’t leave. Reality finally hit – the Hammers were out of the Premier League.

Truth be told, every visit to the London Stadium this season has felt like watching West Ham crawl towards that calamitous final day. Hoping that Tottenham would lose while West Ham somehow saved themselves was always going to be unrealistic. The seeds of their destruction were planted long before this campaign unfolded.

Poor leadership, constant managerial changes, poor recruitment and an unhappy fan base all contributed to West Ham’s downfall.

Long before the final whistle of their last game, supporters directed abuse at the chairman’s VIP section and David Sullivan left before the end of the match. His supporters may not respect him at the moment, but he certainly understands self-preservation.

The future of coach Nuno Espirito Santo is expected to be discussed at the board meeting. Several players reportedly felt the squad was better prepared under former manager Graham Potter. Nuno often gave minimal instructions at half-time and regularly avoided speaking to the players during training. He was also not allowed to bring his own staff from Nottingham Forest and was once seen arguing with assistant Mark Robson during the 3-0 defeat to Wolves.

The club now needs to sell players worth around £150m to balance the books. Jarrod Bowen could leave despite his loyalty to the club, while Crysencio Summerville, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Matheus Fernandes are also attracting interest, including from Paris Saint-Germain.

FERNANDES REMAINS IN CHARGE OF MANCHESTER UNITED

Bruno Fernandes has long been surrounded by speculation as to whether he will eventually be lured away from Manchester United by Saudi wealth, American money or the promise of European glory elsewhere. However, Bruno looks happier than ever at United.

Brighton were hoping to secure European football with a win over United, but Bruno Fernandes ensured it didn’t happen. He controlled the game from start to finish, constantly pushing his team forward and demanding more from teammates, referees and assistants.

In the process, Fernandes surpassed the joint Premier League assist record held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry when he recorded his 21st assist of the season.

Newly appointed permanent coach Michael Carrick said: “We’ve liked what he’s done and he loves being here. I think you can see that. He’s enjoying football.”

PREMIER LEAGUE’S RICHES CONTINUE TO GROW

The immense global popularity of the Premier League continues to generate huge financial rewards for clubs. Arsenal, this season’s crowned champions, will receive £198.7m in prize money – £6.2m more than second-placed Manchester City.

Despite relegation, Wolves will still receive £117.7m and will also benefit from parachute payments to help them rebuild and retain players. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, will receive £135.8m despite finishing 17th.

Arsenal also earned £15.97m for knocking Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League and could earn a further £5.61m if they beat PSG in the final. This figure does not even include the additional revenue generated through merchandising and sponsorship deals.

– The end

Published on:

28 May 2026 21:52 IST