Premier League: Can Xabi Alonso spark a renaissance at Chelsea?
Chelsea have turned to Xabi Alonso as the post-season Premier League churn gathers force. His arrival anchors a wider summer of exits, relegation fallout and the league's relentless money machine.
The Premier League season has come to an end, and the players will now jet off for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. But the news around the Premier League won't die down that easily. With teams now focusing on summer transfers, new managers coming in, the news from the biggest league in the world won't stop easily. Chelsea have already made the move to make Xabi Alonso their new coach, while Anthony Gordon is saying goodbye to the league and heading off to Barcelona.
There has been chaos at West Ham United following their relegation from the Premier League and Bruno Fernandes continued to show his loyalty towards Manchester United.
HOW WILL ALONSO IMPROVE CHELSEA?
Xabi Alonso’s football strategies at Bayer Leverkusen were nothing out of the ordinary, and he used methods that many coaches bring to their squads — aggressive pressing and creating chances through dominant possession.
Where he differs from many coaches, and the quality he brings to every game, is his training methods and organisation. He is very good at instructing his team so they know exactly where to be and where to go when attacking or defending. Team-mates could almost pass to each other blindfolded. It is the same with or without the ball. Like Enzo Maresca before him, Alonso has been heavily influenced by Pep Guardiola’s position-based football.
He is bringing four coaches with him from his days at Real Madrid. He will be joined by his long-time assistant Sebastian Parrilla, Alberto Encinas and Beat Labaien, along with his fitness coach. Calum MacFarlane, who has been acting as interim coach until Alonso’s arrival, will also remain with the club.
Alonso regularly uses a three-man defence, featuring two good ball-playing centre-backs on either side of a more physical defender. However, when you look at the team formation as a whole, it is not a regular pattern. One side of the field does not mirror the other. In other words, his teams are asymmetrical, which often confuses opponents.
During his playing days, WE used to enjoy watching Alonso’s ability to make long diagonal passes with superb accuracy, but he does not encourage that style in his coaching. Two players who made their names under Alonso at Leverkusen were Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong, who operated as attacking wing-backs. After Granit Xhaka secured possession in midfield, the trio would often pass forward to Florian Wirtz in space to create chances.
The play is very similar to Chelsea’s period under Antonio Conte, when Ben Chilwell and Reece James thrived as attacking wing-backs. Marc Cucurella is more than capable of taking on that role.
Among the players already at the club, Alonso should work well with Jorrel Hato and Josh Acheampong, who are still raw youngsters and can be moulded into his methods. Levi Colwill is excellent at breaking down opposition attacks, while Romeo Lavia can perform a similar role in midfield. Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Enzo Fernandez are all capable of playing vertical forward passes to Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.
There is plenty for Alonso to feel confident about and, with a few changes and fresh talent — he has already identified the need for another No. 9 striker — next season could be very exciting for Chelsea supporters.
BARCELONA BEAT BAYERN TO 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 appears that the move is becoming 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 that still had four years remaining.
Howe, aware that he was close to losing his talented winger, did not select Gordon for the final four matches in order to protect him, which further fuelled speculation over his exit.
Earlier reports linked Gordon with Bayern Munich, where he could have joined Harry Kane, Michael Olise 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. Those performances attracted the attention of Europe’s elite clubs.
REASONS BEHIND WEST HAM'S DOWNFALL
Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once famously proclaimed: “Football isn’t a matter of life and death. It is much more important than that.”
For West Ham supporters waking up after seeing their beloved club relegated to the second division, it must have felt like attending a funeral they couldn’t leave. Reality had finally hit home — the Hammers were gone from the Premier League.
In truth, every visit to the London Stadium this season felt like watching West Ham crawl towards that disastrous final day. Hoping Tottenham would lose while West Ham somehow saved themselves was always unrealistic. The seeds of their destruction had been planted long before this campaign unfolded.
Weak leadership, constant managerial changes, poor recruitment and an unhappy fanbase all contributed to West Ham’s downfall.
Long before the final whistle of their last game, supporters were directing abuse toward the chairman’s VIP section and David Sullivan left before the match had ended. He may not be respected by supporters at present, but he certainly understands self-preservation.
The future of coach Nuno Espirito Santo is expected to be discussed at a board meeting. Several players reportedly felt the team had been better prepared under former manager Graham Potter. Nuno often gave minimal half-time instructions and regularly avoided speaking to 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 a 3-0 defeat to Wolves.
The club now needs to sell around 150 million pounds worth of players 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 COMMITTED TO MANCHESTER UNITED
For a long time, speculation surrounded Bruno Fernandes and whether he would eventually be lured away from Manchester United by Saudi riches, American money or the promise of European glory elsewhere. However, Bruno appears happier at United than ever before.
Brighton hoped to secure European football with a win over United, but Bruno Fernandes ensured it did not happen. He controlled the game from start to finish, constantly driving his team forward and demanding more from teammates, referees and assistants alike.
In the process, Fernandes broke the joint Premier League assist record held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry by registering his 21st assist of the season.
Newly appointed permanent coach Michael Carrick said: “We’ve loved what he’s done and he loves being here. I think you can see that. He’s enjoying his football.”
PREMIER LEAGUE RICHES CONTINUE TO GROW
The Premier League’s enormous global popularity continues to generate huge financial rewards for clubs. Arsenal, crowned champions this season, will receive 198.7 million pounds in prize money — 6.2 million pounds more than Manchester City for finishing second.
Despite relegation, Wolves will still receive 117.7 million pounds and will also benefit from parachute payments to help them rebuild and retain players. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, will receive 135.8 million pounds despite finishing 17th.
Arsenal also earned 15.97 million pounds for knocking Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League and could receive another 5.61 million pounds if they defeat PSG in the final. That figure does not even include the additional income generated through merchandising and sponsorship deals.
The Premier League season has come to an end, and the players will now jet off for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. But the news around the Premier League won't die down that easily. With teams now focusing on summer transfers, new managers coming in, the news from the biggest league in the world won't stop easily. Chelsea have already made the move to make Xabi Alonso their new coach, while Anthony Gordon is saying goodbye to the league and heading off to Barcelona.
There has been chaos at West Ham United following their relegation from the Premier League and Bruno Fernandes continued to show his loyalty towards Manchester United.
HOW WILL ALONSO IMPROVE CHELSEA?
Xabi Alonso’s football strategies at Bayer Leverkusen were nothing out of the ordinary, and he used methods that many coaches bring to their squads — aggressive pressing and creating chances through dominant possession.
Where he differs from many coaches, and the quality he brings to every game, is his training methods and organisation. He is very good at instructing his team so they know exactly where to be and where to go when attacking or defending. Team-mates could almost pass to each other blindfolded. It is the same with or without the ball. Like Enzo Maresca before him, Alonso has been heavily influenced by Pep Guardiola’s position-based football.
He is bringing four coaches with him from his days at Real Madrid. He will be joined by his long-time assistant Sebastian Parrilla, Alberto Encinas and Beat Labaien, along with his fitness coach. Calum MacFarlane, who has been acting as interim coach until Alonso’s arrival, will also remain with the club.
Alonso regularly uses a three-man defence, featuring two good ball-playing centre-backs on either side of a more physical defender. However, when you look at the team formation as a whole, it is not a regular pattern. One side of the field does not mirror the other. In other words, his teams are asymmetrical, which often confuses opponents.
During his playing days, WE used to enjoy watching Alonso’s ability to make long diagonal passes with superb accuracy, but he does not encourage that style in his coaching. Two players who made their names under Alonso at Leverkusen were Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong, who operated as attacking wing-backs. After Granit Xhaka secured possession in midfield, the trio would often pass forward to Florian Wirtz in space to create chances.
The play is very similar to Chelsea’s period under Antonio Conte, when Ben Chilwell and Reece James thrived as attacking wing-backs. Marc Cucurella is more than capable of taking on that role.
Among the players already at the club, Alonso should work well with Jorrel Hato and Josh Acheampong, who are still raw youngsters and can be moulded into his methods. Levi Colwill is excellent at breaking down opposition attacks, while Romeo Lavia can perform a similar role in midfield. Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Enzo Fernandez are all capable of playing vertical forward passes to Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.
There is plenty for Alonso to feel confident about and, with a few changes and fresh talent — he has already identified the need for another No. 9 striker — next season could be very exciting for Chelsea supporters.
BARCELONA BEAT BAYERN TO 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 appears that the move is becoming 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 that still had four years remaining.
Howe, aware that he was close to losing his talented winger, did not select Gordon for the final four matches in order to protect him, which further fuelled speculation over his exit.
Earlier reports linked Gordon with Bayern Munich, where he could have joined Harry Kane, Michael Olise 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. Those performances attracted the attention of Europe’s elite clubs.
REASONS BEHIND WEST HAM'S DOWNFALL
Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once famously proclaimed: “Football isn’t a matter of life and death. It is much more important than that.”
For West Ham supporters waking up after seeing their beloved club relegated to the second division, it must have felt like attending a funeral they couldn’t leave. Reality had finally hit home — the Hammers were gone from the Premier League.
In truth, every visit to the London Stadium this season felt like watching West Ham crawl towards that disastrous final day. Hoping Tottenham would lose while West Ham somehow saved themselves was always unrealistic. The seeds of their destruction had been planted long before this campaign unfolded.
Weak leadership, constant managerial changes, poor recruitment and an unhappy fanbase all contributed to West Ham’s downfall.
Long before the final whistle of their last game, supporters were directing abuse toward the chairman’s VIP section and David Sullivan left before the match had ended. He may not be respected by supporters at present, but he certainly understands self-preservation.
The future of coach Nuno Espirito Santo is expected to be discussed at a board meeting. Several players reportedly felt the team had been better prepared under former manager Graham Potter. Nuno often gave minimal half-time instructions and regularly avoided speaking to 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 a 3-0 defeat to Wolves.
The club now needs to sell around 150 million pounds worth of players 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 COMMITTED TO MANCHESTER UNITED
For a long time, speculation surrounded Bruno Fernandes and whether he would eventually be lured away from Manchester United by Saudi riches, American money or the promise of European glory elsewhere. However, Bruno appears happier at United than ever before.
Brighton hoped to secure European football with a win over United, but Bruno Fernandes ensured it did not happen. He controlled the game from start to finish, constantly driving his team forward and demanding more from teammates, referees and assistants alike.
In the process, Fernandes broke the joint Premier League assist record held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry by registering his 21st assist of the season.
Newly appointed permanent coach Michael Carrick said: “We’ve loved what he’s done and he loves being here. I think you can see that. He’s enjoying his football.”
PREMIER LEAGUE RICHES CONTINUE TO GROW
The Premier League’s enormous global popularity continues to generate huge financial rewards for clubs. Arsenal, crowned champions this season, will receive 198.7 million pounds in prize money — 6.2 million pounds more than Manchester City for finishing second.
Despite relegation, Wolves will still receive 117.7 million pounds and will also benefit from parachute payments to help them rebuild and retain players. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, will receive 135.8 million pounds despite finishing 17th.
Arsenal also earned 15.97 million pounds for knocking Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League and could receive another 5.61 million pounds if they defeat PSG in the final. That figure does not even include the additional income generated through merchandising and sponsorship deals.
