"They give presence." Xabi Alonso sat up a little more in his press conference seat and pointed to his chest. "They give stability." Chelsea have made an erratic start under the Spaniard but last Saturday the midfield partnership of Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson brought control and balance to the team in a 5-1 thrashing of Bournemouth. "For me, it's fundamental that we get that area strong," Alonso told the media after that game, well aware of how Chelsea's excellent attacking play in the early weeks of the season has been undermined by a leaky defence, exposed in end-to-end contests.
The answer lies in the middle of the pitch. Alonso, a star central midfielder himself during his playing days, has used a variety of players and combinations in that area through his first six Premier League games. Reece James has been a regular selection.
But the Chelsea captain's knee surgery, which is going to keep him out for the coming months, necessitates Alonso settling on a different option. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The Caicedo-Henderson combination could be the partnership he takes forward, with Everton away up next. They showed their character and quality last time out.
Caicedo's return to fitness was always going to be a key element to the solution. The Ecuadorian had been limited to just 14 minutes of football this season before playing 72 against Bournemouth. His impact on the team was clear at Stamford Bridge.
He topped the tackles won and interceptions metric for Chelsea, and also used the ball efficiently, posting a 96.4 percent passing accuracy, the best of any starter from either side. "With him, we have a better midfield area," said Alonso plainly. "When you are better in the middle, you have a more complete team, and I think that is something to build around.
"He's going to be a key player for us. We knew that, and we have seen today." But if Caicedo delivered his expected attributes, Henderson delivered a couple of sensational surprises, whipping in two brilliant long-range goals. His influence with his all-round game - at 36 years of age - may be an even bigger surprise to his critics.
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