{"id":1505196,"date":"2026-10-21T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1505196"},"modified":"2026-10-21T07:05:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:05:40","slug":"tactical-analysis-xabi-alonso-chelsea-clean-sheet","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xabi-alonso-chelsea-clean-sheet\/","title":{"rendered":"How Xabi Alonso&#8217;s shift to a back four inspired Chelsea&#8217;s first clean sheet of the season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>After a patchy start to the 2026\/27 campaign, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/chelsea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chelsea<\/a> have won both of their games since returning from the international break.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/xabi-alonso\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Xabi Alonso<\/a> had three weeks to mull over what was going wrong after Chelsea drew 2-2 with Hull and lost 3-0 with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/brentford\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brentford<\/a> before the break, with the Blues needing to bounce back against Bournemouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/add-squawka-to-your-google-news-feed\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner.webp\" alt=\"Add Squawka to your preferred sources on Google\" class=\"wp-image-1500527\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner.webp 1500w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-300x100.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-1024x341.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-400x133.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-600x200.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-180x60.webp 180w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-150x50.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-222x74.webp 222w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chelsea dispatched of Bournemouth 5-1, with Alonso tweaking a few aspects of his system which positively impacted their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their most recent game, Chelsea beat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/everton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Everton<\/a> 2-0, keeping their first clean sheet since January this year, making it 22 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/competitions\/premier-league-2026-2027\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Premier League<\/a> games without a clean sheet before this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-out-of-possession-improvement\" data-level=\"2\">Out-of-possession improvement?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-culture-shifting\" data-level=\"2\">Culture shifting<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-caicedo-effect\" data-level=\"2\">The Caicedo effect<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-cutback-kings\" data-level=\"2\">Cutback kings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-out-of-possession-improvement\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Out-of-possession improvement?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-xabi-s-dance-circle\">Perhaps the biggest talking point since Chelsea returned from the international break has been Alonso&#8217;s slight tweak in his out-of-possession system, making it look more like a 4-4-2 block shape most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When looking at the data from before the international break and after the break, there has been a clear improvement in defensive metrics, conceding fewer expected goals and keeping a clean sheet against Everton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chelsea have also improved in regards to holding possession, which has helped Alonso&#8217;s side to control games slightly better, meaning their defensive unit has slightly less pressure on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1505329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1-59x74.jpg 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20132555\/team_-radar-comparison-2-1.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In games before the break, Chelsea&#8217;s out-of-possession shape was largely dependent on the positioning of Pedro Neto at right-wing\/right wing-back, who was tasked with following the opposition full-back. This meant if the opposition full-back advanced into the last line, Neto was dragged deep to form a temporary back five to match up with the opposition front five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite losing 3-0 against Brentford in the last game before the international break, Chelsea started to show signs of their press having more clarity, with Neto pressing from more of a right-midfield position, giving Chelsea better access to the opposition build up in their press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-xabi-s-dance-circle\">We have seen this continue and to even better effect since returning from the break, with Alonso&#8217;s side pressing from more of a 4-4-2 shape, each having their references with better distances between their jumps and a clearer picture of each players responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-xabi-s-dance-circle\">The biggest difference in these moments has been how Chelsea defend in their midblock shape, with Alonso&#8217;s side showing more intent to hold their 4-4-2 shape in this phase of play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-1024x667.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1505214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-1024x667.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-768x501.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-400x261.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-307x200.png 307w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-92x60.png 92w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-150x98.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system-114x74.png 114w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001654\/Chelsea-vs-Everton-4-4-2-hybrid-system.png 1321w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Image via JLA Tactics Board<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moises Caicedo&#8217;s influence feels pivotal to this, as he is now able to act with a hybrid role in the middle of the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When pressing, Caicedo will begin deeper than his midfield partner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/jordan-henderson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jordan Henderson<\/a>, allowing the English midfielder to jump up and apply pressure to the opposition pivot, while the Ecuadorian acts as the +1, close enough to the defensive unit to protect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Chelsea are pushed deeper, instead of Neto dropping into the backline to form a temporary back five, Caicedo is able to fill the space between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/josh-acheampong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Josh Acheampong<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/maxence-lacroix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maxence Lacroix<\/a>, allowing Neto to stay higher with better access if Chelsea want to go from a more zonal block into a press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While there has been improvement in recent weeks in these areas, with compactness between the units becoming tighter and roles being performed with more clarity, Chelsea&#8217;s shape can still be manipulated by the intentions of the opposition, depending on their usage of full-backs and midfield rotations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-xabi-s-dance-circle\">If Chelsea want to jump from their more zonal 4-4-2 midblock into a man-oriented press more often, the challenge will be how they pick up those references against rotations, to stop certain players being dragged deeper and to remain with good access to a press via their distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-culture-shifting\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture shifting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But while there has been some slight system differences in the way Chelsea defend, the biggest factor to their first clean sheet in 2026, beating Everton 2-0, was the overall workrate of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last campaign, Chelsea were outrun in 36\/38 games. So far this season, the Blues have outrun their opponent on four out of seven occasions in the Premier League, already surpassing their tally from last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alonso&#8217;s arrival was described as a &#8220;culture reset&#8221; in the summer, with a big part of building that being the signings of Henderson and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/danny-welbeck\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Danny Welbeck<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Against Everton, Henderson covered more ground than any player on the pitch, leading by example, which saw many of the youngster stars following suit, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/cole-palmer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cole Palmer<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/morgan-rogers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Morgan Rogers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chelsea also added more physicality this summer, not only to help in regards of ground coverage and workrate, but also height and strength, looking to make the squad tougher to bully in games, something they struggled with last season, often looking soft against the more athletic sides in the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far this season, no team has won a larger percentage of their ground duels, with the Blues winning 55.7% of their ground duels this season. Alonso&#8217;s side also rank fourth for aerial duels won percentage with 53.1%, only behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/manchester-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester City<\/a>, Newcastle and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/liverpool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Liverpool<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Alonso continues to drive the standards to compete in every possible way, Chelsea are bound to be in a good spot come the end of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-caicedo-effect\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Caicedo effect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Alonso&#8217;s tactical tweaks have played a part in Chelsea&#8217;s improvement over the past couple of games, it is hard to ignore the return of Caicedo being heavily linked to their success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about Caicedo&#8217;s return, Alonso responded &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t wait to have him back to be honest because Moi on the pitch, everything looks more in place because he&#8217;s so important, so pivotal.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their victories against both Bournemouth and Everton, the midfield partnership of Caicedo and Henderson has offered a more controlled environment both on and off the ball for the Blues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As previously mentioned, off the ball, Caicedo&#8217;s ability to screen the defensive line, drop to protect the seam runs between the full-back and centre-back gates and jump aggressively in the press when it requires has been key to Chelsea&#8217;s hybrid system in the past few games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1505356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21-59x74.jpg 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20133131\/player_-pitch-5-stats-no-rank-21.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Caicedo&#8217;s return has also offered a huge improvement on the ball, with the combination between himself and Henderson allowing Chelsea to establish more control in games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pair have been operating as a double pivot in the past couple of games, playing close together, consistently having each other as a reference point to connect passes, take the sting out of games and circulate possession in order to manage moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Caicedo and Henderson have good temperment on the ball, understanding of when to go backwards or sideways, while still having the quality to play forwards and shift the tempo to accelerate play in the middle third and find Chelsea&#8217;s exciting frontline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-cutback-kings\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cutback kings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chelsea are third in the Premier League for goals scored so far this season, scoring 17 goals from their opening seven games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A huge reason for that has been a key detail in Alonso&#8217;s philosophy, with the Spaniard putting a clear emphasis on his players attacking the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once Chelsea arrive in the final third, Alonso wants his forwards to attack the box with numbers, with the opposite side winger\/wing-back, the attacking midfielders and the centre-forward, with a midfielder sometimes breaking from deep to provide an option too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1505208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1-59x74.jpg 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/20001100\/shot_map-team-3-stats-3-1.jpg 1622w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was a clear strength of Alonso&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/bayer-leverkusen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bayer Leverkusen<\/a> side as well, with the wing-backs often arriving in areas to provide cutbacks, while the other forwards crashed the box with intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just as important as the volume of players crashing the box, is the activity and intent of the players attacking the box, as it forces defenders to defend multiple options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have seen this on a number of occasions already this season, as Palmer has made aggressive runs into the box, forcing defenders to follow him, leaving space for other players to arrive into.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/premier-league\/\"><strong>Premier League predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/premier-league-title-odds\/\"><strong>Premier League outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After a patchy start to the 2026\/27 campaign, Chelsea have won both of their games since returning from the international break. Xabi Alonso had three weeks to mull over what was going wrong after Chelsea drew 2-2 with Hull and lost 3-0 with Brentford before the break, with the Blues needing to bounce back against&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3107,"featured_media":1505198,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[27683,27670],"class_list":["post-1505196","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","squawka-category-chelsea","squawka-category-premier-league"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Xabi Alonso&#039;s shift to a back four inspired Chelsea&#039;s first clean sheet of the season | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xabi-alonso-chelsea-clean-sheet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Xabi Alonso&#039;s shift to a back four inspired Chelsea&#039;s first clean sheet of the season\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After a patchy start to the 2026\/27 campaign, Chelsea have won both of their games since returning from the international break. 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