Chelsea’s extended three-week international break may have benefited them more than any other Premier League side, and Saturday’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth offered early support for that view. Before kick-off, senior club officials spoke about how the break had arrived at the right time for the Blues, even if the sample size remains small.
Before the pause, Xabi Alonso had been searching for answers in his system after moving to a back three. Chelsea had conceded a league-high 12 goals, though their brilliance going forward through Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro had sometimes allowed them to outscore opponents. That approach looked unsustainable, and a 3-0 defeat at Brentford before the break underlined the need for adjustments.
Alonso made several changes against Bournemouth. Chelsea defended deeper, pressed in a different shape and altered their build-up play, giving the side a more solid look. Joao Pedro, who scored twice, said afterwards: “The international break was a long time. We had time to work, to fix the mistakes against Brentford, and we got a great result.”
The return of Moises Caicedo was a major factor. The Ecuadorian midfielder had played only 14 minutes as a substitute before Saturday after suffering a recurrence of a calf injury during a brief appearance against Brighton. His quality in possession and ability to win the ball back made a huge difference. At the end of his media duties at Stamford Bridge, Alonso was particularly effusive about Caicedo’s return, saying: “Wow, I couldn’t wait to have him back to be honest because with Moi on the pitch everything looks more in place. He is so important and we want to have him around. It was very good news.”
Joao Pedro, who has the most goal involvements in the Premier League this season with eight (five goals and three assists), was also back, while Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha were named among the substitutes. Palmer withdrew from England duty, drawing a reaction from Thomas Tuchel, but was fit to play the full 90 minutes for Chelsea and looked refreshed. He spent part of the break on holiday, like the majority of the squad, while following an individual rehabilitation programme with a private fitness coach. Palmer also signed an improved, extended contract on his return to the club.
Without England commitments, Palmer joined about 16 senior Chelsea players, supplemented by academy prospects, in near full-strength training sessions. There had been some ridicule after Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Championship side Portsmouth, but internally that match was seen more as a training exercise. It featured Caicedo and other returning players getting limited minutes following injury, with a number of academy players also involved. Coaching, experimenting and tactical work took place throughout the game, so the result was not the focus.
Alonso also said he spent a lot of time doing “office work”, which insiders believe largely involved tactical analysis of previous matches and preparation for future opponents. Chelsea’s fifth goal on Saturday, a free-kick routine in which Palmer shaped to shoot before Jordan Henderson curled the ball into the top corner, was devised by new set-piece coach Austin MacPhee. It forms part of Alonso’s drive to make Chelsea less predictable as they look to maximise every opportunity to improve attacking output after last season’s disappointing 10th-place finish in the Premier League.
Chelsea had only 10 players away on international duty, while rivals Manchester City and Arsenal had 18 and 17 respectively. Although Chelsea lost fringe winger Jamie Gittens to an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out for “several weeks” following an England Under-21 appearance, other clubs suffered more significant setbacks. Arsenal lost a regular starter in Christos Tzolis, Manchester United lost Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu to injury, while Liverpool are having to cope without Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai. Some of Chelsea’s call-ups, including Valentin Barco, Estevao Willian, Jorrel Hato and Geovany Quenda, arguably benefited from extra minutes with their national teams.
When asked about the three-week break, Alonso said it was “too long”. But it was clear he and Chelsea had not been standing still, as he added: “We have had time for everything, to analyse what we have done in this game, what’s coming and working with some players, recovering some players. We have used the time properly.” For Alonso, the extended international break has provided valuable breathing space as he refines his approach at Chelsea.