Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: Xabi Alonso says Blues squad must "hurt" after Emirates Stadium defeat despite positives

Xabi Alonso has suggested that helium wants his Chelsea squad to endure aft the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal connected Sunday.

The Blues went into the Premier League fixture astatine the Emirates Stadium looking to extremity a five-year hold for triumph implicit the Gunners.

Morgan Rogers's aboriginal extremity ensured that Chelsea were competitory passim the contention against the Premier League champions.

However, goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard inflicted Alonso's archetypal decision arsenic manager of Chelsea.

Despite the positives that could beryllium taken from Chelsea's performance, the Spaniard said astatine a property league that the setback needs to "hurt" his players.

Alonso reacts to Chelsea's decision astatine Arsenal

Analysing the contention successful North London, Alonso told reporters: "It has been a crippled with antithetic momentums, antithetic stages. We started the crippled well, scoring first. The adjacent 15 minutes, they were pushing america hard. We were defending debased and struggled to get a small spot more, having the shot to beryllium capable to play a small spot much connected the pitch.

"So, yeah, those 15 minutes were hard and we had to suffer. Once we person conceded the goal, I deliberation that the crippled came backmost to the adjacent level from them, from us.

"We person had a mates of bully chances earlier the extremity of the archetypal half, but astatine half-time we spoke; it was a precise adjacent game, precise intense, erstwhile we had to person a truly precocious level of concentration, not to springiness galore advantages to them, to beryllium successful the game, to beryllium warring for it. And for sure, the 2nd goal, we could person done a small spot better.

"It's portion of the crippled you request to accept, due to the fact that they are apical broadside and they propulsion you to the limits. They overload a batch connected the near broadside with galore players. And aft that tally from Odegaard, but we person kept going. The squad showed truly bully tendency and bully tone to combat till the end. We were adjacent with a accidental from Estevao [Willian], truthful it's a defeat.

"We are disappointed. It needs to hurt, but it needs to wounded successful a affirmative way, due to the fact that it's conscionable crippled three, inactive galore games to play and we cognize it was going to beryllium a precise aggravated crippled today."

What adjacent for Chelsea?

Chelsea beryllium successful 4th presumption successful the Premier League table aft games against Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal.

Next up is simply a showdown with Leeds United successful the EFL Cup 3rd circular connected September 9, the fixture viewed arsenic an important crippled with nary European shot connected the calendar.

Alonso is expected to marque changes for that crippled with a showdown against astonishment bundle Hull City to travel successful the Premier League 3 days later.