Xabi Alonso has revealed what he said in his half-time team talk during Chelsea’s clash with Manchester United. His words inspired a dominant second-half performance at Stamford Bridge.

Man Utd arguably deserved to be leading at half-time, but Chelsea deserved the victory by the end. Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored a goal each, while Estevao Willian had two efforts ruled out for offside.

Rogers’ goal five minutes into the second half continued Chelsea’s trend of scoring soon after the restart. But what was Alonso’s half-time message that helped inspire a comfortable 2-0 win?

What Xabi Alonso told Chelsea players at half-time

Xabi Alonso told TNT Sports that he wanted his Chelsea team to have more control of possession in the second half. The opening 45 minutes had been end-to-end, with Man Utd looking dangerous on the counter-attack, and Alonso demanded more from his players.

The Blues made a positive start after the break and their pressure was rewarded when Morgan Rogers scored a superb goal. It then became easier for the home side to dominate after United were reduced to 10 men following Lisandro Martinez’s red card.

“We are happy. I think the game had different moments,” Alonso explained. “The first half was close. There were a few chances for us and a few chances for them. We spoke at half-time about needing to keep more control of the ball, and that with the ball, we were going to win this game.

“And I think that the start of the second half was much better. And, for sure, after the sending-off and the 2-0 lead, it was another context. But it was a mature performance in different moments and a great win.”

The Chelsea boss continued: “At half-time, you try to make a few adjustments, but the main thing is that we have spoken about being good with the ball and having a bit more stability. That’s why we made a good start to the second half, with a great goal from Morgan.”

Alonso’s side finished the match with 59% possession and completed 516 passes, 147 more than United. Chelsea also had twice as many shots as their opponents (20 to 10), and the scoreline could have been even more one-sided.