Chelsea predicted XI under Xabi Alonso for Premier League 2026-27

Chelsea and head coach Xabi Alonso have a projected starting XI for the Premier League 2026-27 season, published on 2026-08-21. The forecast uses a 3-4-2-1 formation with Robert Sanchez in goal and Joao Pedro as the centre-forward.

The club spent heavily in the summer transfer window to strengthen the first team under new head coach Xabi Alonso, who joined from Real Madrid and is working under BlueCo ownership. Alonso, 44, enjoyed success at Bayer Leverkusen but had a fairly underwhelming spell with Los Blancos. He has already altered Chelsea’s transfer approach, bringing in experienced signings including Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck. New recruits Pep Chavarria, Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix are expected to be immediate first-team options.

The predicted formation is 3-4-2-1: Robert Sanchez; Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix in the back three; Reece James and Pep Chavarria as the wing-backs; Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in midfield; Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers in the two attacking midfield roles behind Joao Pedro. Danny Welbeck is named as an option from the bench.

Jorrel Hato is listed as an option off the bench both at central defence and at left wing-back. Alonso is projected to prefer Pep Chavarria on the left, although Malo Gusto is mentioned as an alternative. Reece James is expected to occupy the right wing-back position.

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are paired as the midfield fulcrum, although ‘‘there is still some doubt whether the Argentine midfielder will remain at Stamford Bridge.’’ The lineup projects Cole Palmer to start in an advanced left-sided role with Morgan Rogers on the right.

The article describes Alonso’s tactical profile as blending elements of Pep Guardiola’s and Jurgen Klopp’s philosophies, developed during his time in the Bundesliga and applied at Real Madrid. It says his teams show strong positional awareness, that he employs Gegenpressing, and that he typically uses 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 systems. The system requires ball-playing defenders comfortable on the ball, dynamic midfielders who can drive up and down the pitch, and inverted wing-backs mirroring the style credited to Guardiola at Manchester City, who support the two central midfielders.

The projected XI and personnel reflect Alonso’s intended system for Chelsea’s Premier League 2026-27 campaign. Alonso is expected to deploy a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 system at the Blues.