Chelsea appear to have gained most from three-week international break after 5-1 win
Chelsea appeared to benefit most from the extended three-week international break after their 5-1 victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a result that senior club officials said came at the right time despite being a small sample size.
New manager Xabi Alonso had been searching for solutions before the pause, having shifted Chelsea to a back three and seen the side concede a league-high 12 goals; at times the team relied on the attacking form of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro but a 3-0 defeat at Brentford underlined the need for change.
Alonso implemented several adjustments against Bournemouth, with the team defending deeper, pressing in a different shape and altering its build-up play to produce a more solid-looking structure on the pitch; he 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.
Joao Pedro scored twice in the win and reflected on the break, saying: "The international break was a long time. We had time to work, to fix the mistakes against Brentford, and we got a great result." Pedro also leads the Premier League this season for goal involvements with eight (five goals and three assists).
The return of Moises Caicedo was highlighted as a major factor: he had played only 14 minutes as a substitute before Saturday after suffering a recurrence of a calf injury during a brief appearance against Brighton, and his quality in possession and ability to win the ball back were cited as making a huge difference. Alonso said: "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."
Cole Palmer, who withdrew from England duty and drew a reaction from Thomas Tuchel, was fit to play the full 90 minutes and appeared refreshed after spending part of the break on holiday and following an individual rehabilitation programme with a private fitness coach; he also signed an improved, extended contract on his return. Without England commitments he joined about 16 senior Chelsea players, supplemented by academy prospects, in near full-strength training sessions.
Chelsea played a behind-closed-doors friendly against Portsmouth that ended 2-0 in favour of the Championship side, but the club treated the game primarily as a training exercise featuring limited minutes for returning players and several academy participants while coaching and tactical experimentation continued. The team'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.
Chelsea had 10 players away on international duty compared with 18 for Manchester City and 17 for Arsenal; the break brought mixed outcomes elsewhere, with Jamie Gittens suffering an ankle injury expected to keep him out for "several weeks" after an England Under-21 appearance, Arsenal losing Christos Tzolis, Manchester United losing Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu, and Liverpool coping without Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai. Some Chelsea players called up by their national sides, including Valentin Barco, Estevao Willian, Jorrel Hato and Geovany Quenda, arguably benefited from the extra minutes.
Alonso described the pause as "too long" but said the club made productive use of the time: "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.
