Alonso demands ‘boring’ wins as Chelsea’s defensive crisis deepens

Xabi Alonso wants Chelsea to embrace boring victories as their defensive problems continue to overshadow an attack that has otherwise impressed during the Spaniard’s first Premier League campaign.

Xabi Alonso has called on Chelsea to learn how to win boring games as their defensive problems continue to threaten an otherwise promising start under the Spaniard.

Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by newly promoted Hull City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday despite taking an early lead through Morgan Rogers.

Two defensive lapses allowed Mohamed Belloumi to turn the game around before João Pedro rescued a point in the second half, leaving Alonso frustrated by another performance in which his team failed to protect a lead.

Chelsea have now conceded nine goals in their opening four Premier League matches and remain without a clean sheet in their last 20 league games, underlining the scale of the problem facing their new manager.

Alonso was particularly concerned by the ease with which opponents are creating opportunities against his side and admitted that Chelsea are currently performing better in attack than defence.

“I hope one day you appreciate a boring game and we win,” Alonso said, making it clear that style will have to take a back seat if necessary while Chelsea address their defensive weaknesses.

He also stressed the need for his players to remain compact and intense when they take the lead instead of allowing opponents to regain momentum.

“We can do better. We can do better for sure,” Alonso added. For Chelsea, the message is becoming increasingly clear: entertaining football and attacking quality mean little if the defence continues to give away cheap goals.

Until Alonso finds a solution, his team’s inability to turn promising performances into controlled victories could remain their biggest obstacle.