Chelsea are flying high under new boss Maurizio Sarri, sitting top of the Premier League winning all five of their opening matches.

Impressively the backline have seamlessly went from a back three to a four and they look just as assured.

They also seem to get the same benefits from Marcos Alonso, the influential Spaniard has moved from the left-sided wing back role to the club’s new left back.

Playing further forward under old gaffer Antonio Conte certainly seemed to work wonders as he produced eleven league goals and five assists in his first two years at Stamford Bridge.

Yet under Italian coach Sarri, Alonso is still able to get forward and get involved in his team’s attacking play. His link up play, particularly with Eden Hazard, is fantastic and his engine to get up and down the touchline is also highly commendable.

The twenty-seven year old is still able to get forward because Maurizio’s playing style depends on them bossing possession and keeping the ball mainly in the opposition’s half. Alonso himself has been more efficient with his passing, his pass success rate his up at 86.7% and that’s with him making more passes too.

He’s already managed to get on the scoresheet during this campaign, in Chelsea’s win over Arsenal, and also has two assists to his name.

While Marcos has worked a bit harder on the defensive side of his game, the stats are still on par with what The Blues have come to expect from the Spanish international. The defender (loosely) does well in aerial duels and he’s also averaging around 1.6 tackles per Premier League appearance, which is slightly up on his stats from last year.

Marcos Alonso gives Chelsea an added dimension in attack when he overlaps. His neat small passes and his crosses into the box are constantly putting opposition teams on the back foot. His eagerness to get involved is also a blessing for his forward thinking teammates, especially in tight matches.

His manager seems to be delighted with the left back’s performances, although Maurizio Sarri also added That Marcos could still improved defensively:

“Alonso, at the moment, this position at left-back is maybe the best in Europe,”  

“Physical qualities at a top level, I think. He’s doing very well in the offensive phase. But I also think he can improve in the defensive phase. If he improves that, he could be the best left-back in the world.”

It’s testament to Alonso’s abilities and his concentration levels that he can be moved to a supposedly more defensive left-back slot and still contribute as much as he does going forward, yet the team still don’t look vulnerable at the back!

Posted on September 18th, 2018 by scott
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