The Lessons Chelsea Can Learn From Xabi Alonso’s Early Bayer Leverkusen Struggles
The Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge is just six games old, but there has already been plenty said about his Chelsea side.
The Blues are, objectively, dazzling to watch going forward. João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer have combined to create one of Europe’s best attacking lines, but things have been far from perfect at the other end of the pitch.
In Alonso’s six games, Chelsea have conceded 12 goals. In the Premier League, only Crystal Palace (11), Coventry City and Ipswich Town (both 10) have allowed more goals than Alonso’s Blues, who have turned nearly every match they have played this season into a basketball game of end-to-end action.
Clearly, that is not sustainable, and questions have already been asked about the direction of this undeniably entertaining team.
Interestingly, though, this is not the first time Alonso’s defensive abilities have been questioned, with the start of his famous tenure with Bayer Leverkusen beginning in similar fashion.
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Déjà Vu for Alonso After Tricky Bayer Leverkusen Start
Alonso joined up with Leverkusen on Oct. 5, 2022. They were sitting second-bottom in the Bundesliga and enduring their worst start to a season in over 40 years.
He immediately raised spirits with a 4–0 thumping of a Schalke side in freefall, but the problems soon started to surface. A 3–0 defeat to Porto and a 5–1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt reminded many of the task at hand, and the German media was in no mood to take it easy despite Alonso’s reign still being in its infancy. He was accused of sleepwalking into a “crisis.”
Subsequent 2–2 draws with Wolfsburg and Atlético Madrid, then a 2–0 loss to RB Leipzig, painted an ugly picture. Six games, 14 goals conceded.
“We’re conceding too many goals,” said sporting director Simon Rolfes in an opinion with which Alonso could hardly disagree. “Too many,” was the manager’s blunt admission.
How Alonso’s Chelsea Start Compares to Leverkusen
Alonso’s First Six Games | Chelsea 2026–26 | Bayer Leverkusen 2022–23 |
|---|---|---|
Goals Scored | 18 | 9 |
Goals Conceded | 12 | 14 |
Wins | 4 | 1 |
Losses | 1 | 3 |
Draws | 1 | 2 |
Among the many changes Alonso made when he arrived in Leverkusen was to do away with a four-at-the-back formation in favor of a 3-4-2-1—a system traditionally used to help teams struggling at the back.
Despite the early setbacks, Alonso did not budge. He persisted with his system, assuring fans there was nothing wrong with the setup and it would start to yield results once players grew familiar with his demands.
Clearly, he was right.
“We need to better control when and how we reach the ball,” Alonso stressed, warning his side of the need to take smarter risks and the importance of understanding their positions in relation to those of their teammates alongside them—things that, in his eyes, would come with time.
Alonso’s seventh game in charge at Leverkusen actually proved to be a turning point. The team thumped league leaders Union Berlin 5–0 to start a five-game winning streak, bring fans back onside and set the foundations for a squad that would go on to win the Bundesliga title just 18 months later.
Leverkusen discovered the scoring streak currently present at Chelsea as they won the 2023–24 Bundesliga title. Florian Wirtz led the way with 18 goals and 20 assists, while star striker Victor Boniface was earning transfer links to the Blues with a return of 21 goals and 10 assists, but it was the concession of just 24 goals in 34 games that meant victory was almost guaranteed.
Alonso Sends Similar Warning to Chelsea
After a frustrating 2–2 draw with Hull City in Alonso’s sixth game in charge at Chelsea, he challenged his players to erase a “soft” streak that had found its way into their performances.
While changes need to be made tactically, Alonso was, once again, adamant that time and patience is the best way to bring those positive tweaks.
“It’s early days for us,” he told club media. “It’s one month together and in one month, we know the idea, the concepts, the mentality, but it’s too early to know it’s already built.
“It will take longer, but we need to learn from everything and from this [against Hull] as well.
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“For sure, I think it will come. At the moment, we are not having that feeling we are solid enough. With work and with games, I think it will get better.
“Overall, I think we are attacking better than we are defending. In every aspect, so we know that it’s a big topic and a theme for us.
“For sure, it’s just four [Premier League] games, but the dynamic in terms of conceding, I don’t like it and we need to do much better. Open play, set pieces, long balls, this toughness and competitive sense, we can do better.”
It was at this point in Alonso’s Leverkusen tenure that things began to improve. As Chelsea, prepare for a tough run of fixtures against Brentford, Bournemouth, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, Blues fans will be desperate for something similar.
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