Xabi Alonso has shown a stubborn streak in games this season, but since the international break, he deserves credit for his adaptability and the creative freedom he has afforded Chelsea. 

The Blues’ improvement over the last two games has come without any significant personnel changes, with the starting XI largely unchanged. Instead, Xabi Alonso has altered the team’s shape, moving away from the 3-4-2-1 used before the international break to a 4-2-3-1, which becomes a 4-4-1-1 when Chelsea defend or transition between phases of play.

The most significant adjustment has come in defence. Previously deployed as the third centre-back in a back three, Josh Acheampong has shifted to right-back in a flat back four. This allows him to focus on defending the wide areas against Premier League wingers, with Neto tracking back to provide additional cover and double up on opponents.

The change also gives Acheampong a clearer role. Rather than having to cover the wide channel behind an advancing wing-back, he can focus on his defensive responsibilities within a more defined back line. It is a simpler structure to operate in, and one in which Chelsea have looked far more settled and defensively secure.

With Caicedo fit and back in the fold, his presence alongside the second holding midfielder gives Chelsea an additional layer of protection in front of the back four. This added security helps address the problem of the midfield being overrun and the defence left exposed. The new shape also provides greater protection for the midfield, preventing it from being stretched when opponents move the ball quickly into wide areas.

The change also frees up Chelsea’s attackers. Pedro Neto and Morgan Rogers now operate in higher, wider positions rather than requiring Neto to fulfil the defensive duties of a wing-back. Both are at their most effective when running at defenders in space, and the new shape allows them to stay closer to goal. Neto’s pace and Rogers’ directness provide natural width without Chelsea having to rely on their wing-backs to stretch the pitch.

The system also makes better use of the squad’s attacking options, with Estevão, Geovany Quenda and Jamie Gittens all suited to operating in their more natural positions. By giving these players greater freedom to attack, Alonso has created a structure that better accommodates their individual strengths.

Cole Palmer benefits the most. He now plays more centrally, in the position where he can receive the ball between the lines and dictate the play. In a back three, Palmer often drifted wide or deeper to help the build-up, which pulled him away from the areas where he does the most damage. The 4-2-3-1 puts him at the heart of the attack, supported on both sides.

It is a tactical adjustment that Alonso deserves real credit for, and one that could prove decisive in Chelsea’s push for Champions League qualification come the end of the season.