"Alonso has made his decision after Carragher identified the key factor causing Chelsea to miss out on the Premier League title." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "Xabi Alonso", "Jamie Carragher", "Premier League", "football"]
On 25 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso spoke to Sky Sports after their 2026-27 Premier League season opener, a 3-2 away win against Fulham, securing their first three points of the campaign." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "Xabi Alonso", "Premier League", "match report", "Fulham"]
However, Jamie Carragher, a well-known football expert at Sky Sports, openly criticized Chelsea, saying they have no chance of winning the Premier League if Robert Sánchez remains their goalkeeper, after he directly contributed to both goals conceded against Fulham." ,"tags":["Jamie Carragher", "Chelsea", "Robert Sánchez", "goalkeeper", "criticism"]
Asked about Chelsea's victory in their first 2026-27 Premier League match, Xabi Alonso said, "Relaxed? It's hard to relax when we're only one goal ahead. It was a very intense game, and we knew what it would take to win away." ,"tags":["Xabi Alonso", "Chelsea", "Premier League", "match analysis"]
"We handled various situations well — enduring pressure, fighting, and doing everything possible at key moments. That is why this win and the three points feel so good." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "team effort", "match performance"]
"(What impressed me about Chelsea) The early goal gave us great confidence (31 seconds from João Pedro). I think we had chances for a second before they equalized. Overall, we played solidly and coped well even when out of possession, constantly pressing the opposition." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "early goal", "João Pedro", "team performance"]
"The three forwards coordinated well and created chances. Ultimately, to win away games, we must be ready to give everything, fight hard, and defend together. This is what we need to keep doing going forward, and it’s a good start for us." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "attack coordination", "teamwork"]
"Overall, I see our squad as balanced. We need a solid foundation from defense and midfield to connect with these special players, who want freedom but also responsibility to help the team. Once they find their rhythm, they coordinate excellently." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "team balance", "defense", "midfield"]
"We know they create many chances and have talent, but it’s not just that — they also work as a team. Even with a good start, we can’t place all our hopes solely on them." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "teamwork", "player talent"]
"The entire team must be stable, control the game, maintain quality and sharpness to deliver the ball to them in the best possible positions." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "team stability", "game control"]
"(Regarding Robert Sánchez’s conceded goals) Everything depends on the team. It’s not about individual situations but about understanding what needs to be done. We could have done better on the first goal we conceded, but it’s part of the learning process. This is just day one, and learning will be easier when we secure three points." ,"tags":["Robert Sánchez", "Chelsea", "team responsibility", "learning process"]
"(Regarding the transfer market) I’d even like the window to close already, but this is the situation, and we must be ready to handle all possibilities. Anything can happen in football, so we’ll have to wait and see." ,"tags":["Chelsea", "transfer market", "Xabi Alonso"]}]}]}
