Chelsea had been advised to ‘respect’ the ball by Liam Rosenior and now they’re profitable by rejecting it – however historical past tells us Xabi Alonso’s facet can not win the Premier League averaging 32% possession, writes KIERAN GILL

Look, it could possibly occur. A workforce can win the Premier League with out the ball. Nonetheless, it has solely occurred as soon as on this competitors’s 34 seasons, and it was probably the most spectacular story of all of them.

Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester Metropolis, the 5,000-1 winners in 2015-16 averaging 42.4 per cent possession per recreation. It was a time for dilly-ding, dilly-dong. A time for pizza. A time for Jamie Vardy having a celebration.

Higher luck subsequent yr to these besotted with the ball. It was an exquisite anomaly, and nonetheless the final time a workforce completed inside the highest 5 whereas placing up lower than 50 per cent possession.

Final season, Sunderland had been the best sub-50 facet in seventh. The season earlier than, Nottingham Forest in seventh. Earlier than that, West Ham in ninth. And so forth till we discover Leicester in first. Save for a footballing fairytale, these on the prime get there with the ball, not with out it.

We point out all this as a result of as Chelsea journey to Arsenal as we speak – for a showdown which has some questioning whether or not these two groups can be tussling on the prime nearer to Might – Xabi Alonso’s facet are averaging a mere 32 per cent after their wins over Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion.

That’s greater than 10 per cent shy of 2015-16 Leicester, and solely Hull Metropolis have seen much less of the ball than Chelsea this season.

Chelsea will see extra of the ball in time with Xabi Alonso having made possession a spotlight throughout his time at Bayer Leverkusen

Granted, a two-game pattern measurement is hardly the best, and there’s some context which we’ll cowl, however it’s nonetheless a hanging statistical swing for Chelsea. They’ve gone from ‘respect the ball’ underneath Liam Rosenior to reject the ball underneath Alonso – and are profitable.

Chelsea are sure to see extra of the ball in time, if not as we speak at Arsenal, as a result of this was not precisely anticipated after how Alonso gained his means into the historical past books with Bayer Leverkusen.

There was a coaching train which Alonso preferred utilizing at Leverkusen. It didn’t have a jazzy title. Simply ‘Possession Sport’. It concerned two eight-a-side groups on a slender pitch and three impartial gamers amongst them in bibs taking part in for each. There have been no objectives. The way in which you scored was by protecting the ball. Ten consecutive passes equalled one level.

Alonso would intervene if he sensed the tempo was too gradual, Leverkusen’s metronomic supervisor taking part in passes to indicate the rhythm he needed. The general goal was to maintain possession, discover area, use overloads, develop into comfy with the ball and produce management to chaos.

By the tip of 2023-24, Alonso’s Leverkusen had been the Bundesliga champions for the primary time ever, having averaged the best possession of all of the golf equipment in Germany’s prime division at 62.1 per cent.

Which is why the begin to Chelsea’s season is so intriguing now. It’s one thing of a phenomenon, although their supporters might not thoughts it if Alonso persists with this model of play.

They by no means took to Enzo Maresca, the Pep Guardiola disciple whose methodical soccer resembled dying by a thousand passes. That was too sideways for the liking of a fanbase which fell in love with Jose Mourinho’s pragmatic philosophy, and celebrated Premier League and Champions League triumphs through the back-three methods of Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel respectively.

Chelsea’s present model of play may be welcomed by supporters, who didn’t take to Enzo Maresca’s methodical strategy

When Conte claimed their title in 2016-17, his workforce averaged 54.8 per cent possession, the second lowest ever put up by an English champion behind Leicester.

Alonso, arguably, is utilizing an strategy extra suited to this membership’s ideology, however as we talked about, there’s some context value consideration.

Chelsea’s first two fixtures fell towards sides which can be prioritising possession. First, Fulham, now managed by Alvaro Arbeloa, in a recreation by which Chelsea led after 31 seconds and gained 3-2.

Then Brighton, who crave management underneath Fabian Hurzeler. Per Opta, Chelsea’s 25.9 per cent possession in that 4-3 victory was their lowest on report within the Premier League.

But they had been main 1-0 after 4 minutes, and 3-0 after 32. They didn’t must chase the ball as if it was the final one left on the planet so as to regain possession. They had been additionally with out Moises Caicedo, their important ball-winner who has but to start out a recreation this season due to harm setbacks.

With out Caicedo, Chelsea used Reece James and Romeo Lavia in midfield at Fulham, and Malo Gusto and Lavia towards Brighton. Partnered by full backs, Lavia is pushing himself, hopeful of finishing his first aggressive full 90 for his membership quickly. Chelsea have proven their vulnerabilities minus Caicedo, conceding 5 objectives of their two video games.

Direct soccer fits Chelsea’s entrance three and Morgan Rogers can be value watching towards Arsenal, who had thought they had been poised to signal him this summer time

What they’ve been missing in defence, they’ve overcome in assault. Direct soccer fits Chelsea’s devastatingly proficient entrance three, made up of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro. It’s a trident which seems at its finest pouncing after transitions, and Rogers can be one value watching as we speak.

Arsenal spent a lot of this summer time believing Rogers was pretty much as good as theirs. Chelsea needed him, however senior sources are keen to confess they weren’t overly assured as a result of Mikel Arteta’s facet had been broadly thought of favourites. Nonetheless, these inside Stamford Bridge noticed their rivals’ negotiations intently and thoroughly, and selected their second to swoop amid the dithering, exhibiting a swift willingness to pay £117million to Aston Villa. Blindsided, Arsenal then claimed they had been solely keen to go to £80m most. Different sources say they had been ready to surpass £100m. Rogers, upon signing for Chelsea, mentioned he had joined ‘the most important membership in London’.

Now he can be a fixture within the Premier League’s finest assault versus the perfect defence, searching for to indicate Arsenal what they missed out on – when Chelsea have the ball, that’s.