Xabi Alonso’s time at Chelsea will be the first time he has regularly experienced the physicality of the Premier League as a manager.
There were a number of areas where Chelsea fell short last season compared to their Premier League rivals, but competing physically with their opponents was their real shortcoming.
The Blues were outrun in every game other than the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield, and they struggled with set pieces and long throw-ins in their own box.
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Cesc Fabregas tells Xabi Alonso how to deal with Premier League physicality
Arsenal won the Premier League and were the standard bearers when it came to gaining advantages in physical situations.
Chelsea do not have the physical presence their London rivals have, and would far prefer to win a game using the quality their individual players have.
This is the mantra which Cesc Fabregas lives by, facing a similar situation in charge of Como, where they have just secured Champions League football.
He told The Athletic that the way to beat these physical sides is to make them play out of their comfort zone, rather than trying to survive in their favoured style of play.
He said: “How do you get away from all these duels in man-to-man with a team that physically isn’t the strongest team? We are a team with talent and technical ability. Physically we’re not animals. Let’s put it this way.
“They want to bring you into the context of the duals. They know you’re going to play. So you need to take them into positions where they’re not comfortable and try to attack their weaknesses.”
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Alonso bracing for restart at Chelsea
Chelsea are looking for an immediate bounce back after the club finished 10th in the Premier League last season.
Alonso will not have the distractions of European football in his first season at the club, but is having to prepare for some of his new big-name stars to leave.
Enzo Fernandez is pushing hard to move to Real Madrid, and ideally wants his future sorted before the World Cup gets underway.
Marc Cucurella is also open to an exit, potentially pushing Chelsea into the transfer market for positions they wouldn’t have ideally being signing for.
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