Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso pointed the finger squarely at himself after his side overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Leeds United 6-3 in a wild Carabao Cup encounter at Stamford Bridge. Alonso acknowledged that heavily rotating his starting eleven left the team vulnerable during a difficult first half where Leeds built a 2-0 lead through goals from Tarik Muharemovic and Brenden Aaronson.
Xabi Alonso Takes Responsibility After Nine-Goal Thriller
I take responsibility,
the former Bayer Leverkusen boss said after the game, according to Goal. No player to blame, it’s a decision that we took. First half things were not going the way we wanted. When you do not have time to work [with the squad players], it’s difficult to compete at this level.
Alonso added: Today it was difficult for them. Maybe I made it too difficult. But you need to react and take decisions. The impact was good from the players that came on. I need to take my own blame and my own responsibility.
Tactical Changes and Youth Struggles in the First Half
The rotation strategy tested several young and fringe players. 16-year-old midfielder Reggie Watson made his debut and was booked before being withdrawn at half-time, alongside young attackers Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens. Meanwhile, £40m summer signing Geovany Quenda watched entirely from the bench, failing to add to his solitary substitute appearance since joining from Sporting.
Valentin Barco scored Chelsea’s fifth goal of the night but was also partly at fault for Leeds’ second goal, struggling alongside teammates to retain possession during a chaotic opening period. Despite the early struggles, Alonso refused to take a cynical view of the gap in level between his proven stars and back-up options, noting that he needs to make the right decisions for them to show their best level.
Cole Palmer and Danny Welbeck Lead Sensational Second-Half Comeback
Chelsea’s fortunes reversed dramatically in the second half during a frantic 12-minute attacking spell. Substitute Cole Palmer scored twice in three minutes to level the match before the hour mark. Pedro Neto quickly followed with a sweeping finish in the 60th minute to put the hosts ahead.
Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled a goal back off the bench for Leeds, late strikes sealed the 6-3 victory, including a second goal from 35-year-old Danny Welbeck. Former Blues striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink praised Alonso on Yahoo Sports for the shrewd acquisition of the veteran forward, highlighting the leadership and off-field influence he brings to a largely inexperienced squad.
Levi Colwill Injury Scare Put to Rest
Defensive concerns were also addressed after centre-back Levi Colwill was taken off in the 76th minute and headed straight down the tunnel, replaced by Wesley Fofana. Having recently returned to the starting lineup following a bench appearance in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, the late substitution sparked immediate speculation.
Alonso moved quickly after the match to dismiss any serious worries. Asked if the change was injury-related, Alonso stated: No, no. It is just from little things that he’s having, but we don’t expect that it’s an injury.
The clarification provides relief for Chelsea as they prepare for upcoming Premier League fixtures against Hull City and Brentford ahead of the international break.
Ещё по этой теме
