Chelsea Go Long Under Alonso and the Early Goals Keep Coming

🗣️ There's a clear shift in how Chelsea play now compared to the Maresca era, and it's by design. Maresca built his whole system around playing out from the back, full-backs inverting, patient possession, control through structure. Good in theory, but it kept breaking down with this squad, even in pre-season tours Chelsea were giving away goals trying to force it through players and a goalkeeper who weren't built for it. Alonso's read the room differently. He knows this defense is still shaky and Martínez isn't the kind of keeper you trust playing intricate football out from the back, so instead of forcing it, Chelsea are going long and direct into the forwards early. Against Brighton, 97.4% of Martínez's passes were long balls, with Martínez finding João Pedro more than any other combination on the pitch. That directness is a big reason we've seen so many early goals this season. Sometimes the best thing a coach can do isn't impose a philosophy, it's build around what the players in front of him can actually do. Alonso's getting that balance right so far.