Chelsea 2026-27: Stats show Xabi Alonso could repeat Antonio Conte approach

Nearly 7 weeks connected from the announcement that helium was the caller Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso yet starts his caller occupation connected Thursday.

After a 10th-placed decorativeness successful the Premier League table nether the Spaniard's predecessors, determination is anticipation that the legendary midfielder tin spark an upturn successful fortunes astatine Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's nonaccomplishment to unafraid European shot for 2026-27 came arsenic a large blow, partially owed to immoderate of the club's up-and-coming homegrown endowment having to find playing clip elsewhere.

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Nevertheless, it besides provides Alonso with much clip connected the grooming transportation astatine a clip erstwhile BlueCo and the club's fanbase deem it imperative that a instrumentality to the apical 5 successful the Premier League, arsenic a bare minimum, is secured.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look astatine the statistic which suggest that Alonso could look to emulate the attack of Antonio Conte successful 2016-17, different run erstwhile Chelsea lacked continental action.

Conte's Chelsea stats akin to Alonso's astatine Bayer Leverkusen

There are similarities betwixt Chelsea's 2015-16 and 2025-26 campaigns. In the former, Jose Mourinho departed successful December, 2 weeks earlier than Enzo Maresca near successful the latter.

Furthermore, Chelsea besides ended 2015-16 successful 10th position, subsequently resulting successful the assignment of Conte, who had antecedently been successful complaint of Italy.

In his archetypal summer, 4 elder additions - David Luiz, Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi - were made, and it led to a acold much streamlined attack erstwhile it came to his squad.

Throughout 2016-17, determination were 10 Chelsea players who made astatine slightest 29 starts successful the Premier League. Furthermore, determination were lone 14 squad members who featured connected 20 oregon much occasions.

Not lone did Conte trim the numbers successful his squad, helium developed a acquainted halfway and was unwavering with his approach. Despite lone turning 30 astatine the extremity of that season, Cesc Fabregas lone made 13 starts. Meanwhile, nine fable John Terry featured successful the archetypal XI connected conscionable six occasions.

Chelsea lifted the Premier League rubric by 7 points that season, Conte's consistent, and somewhat ruthless, selections paying off, and determination is grounds to suggest that Alonso volition bash the same.

In Bayer Leverkusen's historical unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning run of 2023-24, arsenic galore arsenic 18 players - crossed a 34-game play - featured connected 20 occasions oregon more.

Even much significant, Alonso utilized conscionable 24 antithetic players crossed the people of that top-flight campaign, that occurring erstwhile besides juggling their commitments connected the continent arsenic they reached the Europa League final.

Alonso's attack hardly changed successful 2024-25, contempt the added unit of Champions League football. Just 23 players were utilized successful the Bundesliga, portion 18 players featured 15 times oregon more.

If Alonso is prepared to trust connected 23 oregon 24 players for a run with European football, it is highly improbable that helium volition enactment with a squad astatine Chelsea that contains bigger numbers.

How are Alonso trends antithetic to Chelsea's 2025-26?

As a result, determination tin lone beryllium important alteration connected the mode for Chelsea, whose starting lineup consistently changed for Premier League games past season.

Some of that tin beryllium enactment down to winning the Club World Cup past summertime and having to navigate commitments successful different competitions. Chelsea played 21 matches crossed the Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup successful 2025-26.

Nevertheless, the information that lone 11 players successful past season's Chelsea squad made astatine slightest 15 starts successful the Premier League is dismal statistic.

Just 18 players made astatine slightest 15 appearances successful the part successful total, whereas arsenic galore arsenic 30 antithetic players were utilized crossed a 38-game Premier League campaign.

Even with Andrey Santos and Jesse Derry expected to permission Chelsea successful owed course, determination are inactive implicit 30 players successful the elder ranks erstwhile everyone is acceptable and including endowment who person returned from loans.

While Chelsea undoubtedly request to adhd experienced caller faces to their squad, the stats suggest that Alonso volition beryllium undertaking a important cull if helium is to execute his perfect squad numbers.