By Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham has exposed a growing pattern under Xabi Alonso, with the Blues struggling to create attacking threats whenever one member of their attacking trident is unavailable.
The attacking potential under Xabi Alonso has been evident when Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and João Pedro are available together. Their combination of creativity, movement and goalscoring threat makes the Blues capable of competing with the best teams in the world.
However, Chelsea’s recent defeats to Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur have exposed a worrying weakness. Whenever João Pedro is unavailable, the Blues have struggled to reproduce their attacking fluency, leaving Alonso searching for solutions.
For a manager expected to bring tactical flexibility to Stamford Bridge, the answer cannot simply be waiting for injured players to return. Chelsea have invested heavily in attacking talent, and Alonso must find a system that remains effective when key players are missing.
Fluid Chelsea with their attacking trident
When Rogers, Palmer and João Pedro operate together, Chelsea have a clear attacking identity. João Pedro provides a central reference point, linking play and occupying defenders, while Rogers and Palmer exploit spaces between the lines with intelligent movement and incisive passing.
Chelsea scored 18 goals in their opening six matches across all competitions, with the trio contributing 10 goals and 10 assists between them.
Their positional flexibility makes them difficult to contain.
Palmer creates chances between the lines, Rogers offers direct running, and João Pedro can drop deeper to connect midfield with attack or occupy opposing centre-backs.
Their movements complement one another, allowing Chelsea to attack through the middle, stretch defences and create opportunities from different positions.
The challenge for Alonso is preserving those qualities when one of the three is missing. A successful attacking structure should not become ineffective whenever an injury forces the manager to change his preferred line-up.
Obvious struggles without the complete set
Chelsea’s defeats to Brentford and Tottenham have brought this concern into sharp focus.At the Gtech Community Stadium, they failed to score for the first time under Alonso as Brentford secured a convincing 3-0 victory.
The visitors struggled to turn promising moments into goals before Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Fábio Carvalho completed the hosts’ win.
João Pedro’s absence was significant, as Chelsea lacked their usual attacking focal point, but that looked like a one night off for a free-scoring team until the Tottenham defeat made the problem even more concerning.
With João Pedro unavailable because of injury, Alonso started Geovany Quenda while deploying Rogers and Palmer in unconventional forward roles rather than selecting a recognised striker, with Danny Welbeck on the bench.
The experiment failed as Tottenham controlled much of the contest, while Chelsea struggled to create a consistent threat.
Mike Penders’ error from a corner handed Spurs the lead in the 77th minute before Palmer’s dismissal and Mathys Tel’s late goal sealed a 2-0 victory.
Cole Palmer’s red card made a comeback more difficult, but Chelsea had already struggled to establish themselves in the game.
The similarities with the Brentford defeat suggest Alonso must address a tactical weakness rather than dismiss the results as isolated setbacks.
For a club with Chelsea’s ambitions, relying so heavily on the available of all three players at once to be effective is dangerous as injuries, suspensions and rotation are inevitable, and the team needs alternative ways to create and score.
How does Xabi Alonso fix Chelsea’s struggles without one of his trident?
1. Trust Chelsea’s attacking depth
Xabi Alonso has to use his available options more effectively instead of changing several positions whenever a key player is missing.
Danny Welbeck started in João Pedro’s place against Brentford but remained on the bench until the 88th minute against Tottenham. Meanwhile, Quenda received his first Chelsea start, with Rogers and Palmer operating in unfamiliar roles.
Rather than forcing his attacking midfielders to lead the line, Alonso could have consider a conventional striker like Welbeck, or a mobile forward who can occupy defenders and create space for runners.
The priority should always be to identify the right alternative for each opponent instead of relying on one attacking formula.
2. Give Estêvão Willian a bigger role
With just 47 Premier League minutes so far, Estêvão has had limited opportunities to establish himself as a regular contributor.
The Brazilian youngster possesses not just the talent but the sheer willingness to offer Chelsea another route to goal. His knack for taking on defenders and tiredness running could prove valuable when any of Chelsea’s trident is missing.
Alonso should give him meaningful minutes in a defined role rather than relying primarily on short substitute appearances. He does not need to become an automatic starter overnight, but he cannot develop into a dependable alternative without opportunities.
3. Accelerate Geovany Quenda’s adaptation
Geovany Quenda’s start against Tottenham was a difficult introduction, particularly in an already disrupted attack. The Portuguese youngster had accumulated only 28 minutes across three appearances before the derby.
He needs regular exposure to the Premier League’s pace, physicality and tactical demands. More minutes would also help him develop combinations with Palmer, Rogers and João Pedro.
However, Alonso must introduce him gradually rather than his start in an high intensity match. Still, one difficult start should not define his prospects, just as his potential should not exempt him from the demands of first-team football.
4. Change the formation when necessary
A flexible 4-2-3-1 could offer Chelsea a practical alternative when one of their preferred attackers is missing.
A recognised striker could lead the line, with Palmer or Rogers operating behind him and the other occupying a wide or advanced midfield position while one of Estêvão, Quenda or Pedro Neto could provide width, depending on the available personnel.
This would give Chelsea clearer attacking responsibilities and reduce the disruption caused by individual absences.
The Tottenham match illustrated the risks of changing several positions simultaneously, emphasizing the importance of a measured tweak, which would have preserved the roles of the available attackers while replacing João Pedro in the centre-forward position.
5. Reduce the burden on the forwards
Chelsea must ensure their goals do not depend almost entirely on individual attacking contributions. Of course they are a team capable of scoring goals, but they need consistency in doing so when one of their trident is away.
Defensive improvement is equally important.
Xabi Alonso’s team had conceded eight goals from set-piece situations in the Premier League by the time of their Tottenham defeat, highlighting another weakness that increases the pressure on their attack.
The clean sheet at Everton the previous weekend, their first in almost 20 league games, reassured fans that with the return of Moises Caicedo, their defensive leaks seemed fixed, but against Spurs, it was bursted open again.
Better defensive organisation and control of transitions would help sustain pressure and avoid forcing their forwards to compensate for preventable mistakes.
Xabi Alonso must build a system, not a dependency
Rogers, Palmer and João Pedro offer Chelsea an outstanding attacking combination, and Alonso should continue building around them when they are available.
However, the defeats to Brentford and Tottenham have exposed the danger of treating the trio as indispensable. The solution is to trust the squad’s depth, give the other squad members meaningful opportunities, and establish alternative formations that preserve the team’s attacking identity.
The ultimate test of Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea will not be how devastating they look with their attacking trident intact, but whether they can continue creating, scoring and winning when one of its members is missing.
