Xabi Alonso says his Chelsea side will do ‘whatever it takes to win’ and will look different for their Premier League clash with Arsenal next Sunday.
The Blues continued their perfect start to life under the Spaniard with an entertaining 4-3 win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
The hosts raced into a three-goal lead after just 32 minutes through goals from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro, but, just like last week’s win against Fulham, allowed their opponents back into the game.
Malick Yalcouye’s strike and an own goal from Joao Pedro either side of half-time brought Brighton back within one goal before Cole Palmer’s superb strike saw Chelsea eek out a narrow win.
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Three wins from three marks a great start for Alonso, but his side were far from perfect, having just 26 per cent possession against Brighton and frequently carved open by Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
Chelsea will face a huge test of their credentials next weekend at the Emirates against the defending champions Arsenal, but Alonso is confident that his side can evolve and stand up to the test.
‘I want to win and will whatever it takes to win,’ the Spaniard said in his post-match press conference.
‘Each game can be different so we need to prepare for the best.
‘We need to train for the best and be prepared for whatever scenario we have, so it’s not like this [performance] is going to be replicated against Arsenal.
‘Today it was a big challenge and a big test and next Sunday it’s going to be a big one but we can continue progressing on the good things and correct the other ones that we can do better.’
Alonso also pushed back against the notion that his side were complacent after going ahead, insisting: ‘No, I would say it is quite normal.
‘It happens in many teams, other teams that they have already worked for and they are together and they have more games together.
‘Normally this idea, how to manage those moments is already more good. We are in this process. So I am sure that this result in the future we can manage it better because in the Premier League, even in half-time we were 3-1 and I said guys, 2-0 lead, with two goals lead in the Premier League, it is not done.
‘We need to still focus on playing, scoring goals, defending well and after we could have scored the fifth one and many things happened in the game.’
And on his side’s lack of possession against Brighton, he asserted: ‘No, you need to have context to every data for sure.
‘After 30 minutes we have scored [to make it] 3-0, probably in that moment we have played too much with the result instead of keep playing.
‘So the data is not important, it is how you play and what we can do better. But it is never that approach, I don’t say today we need to have 60 per cent or 20 per cent.
‘I never talk about those things, it is about how to prepare, how to be more competitive. But the good thing is that you need to adapt, even during the game there are different moments and some moments that we have done really, really well and other moments that we can do better.’
Chelsea currently sit third in the table, but could be leapfrogged by Arsenal should Mikel Arteta’s side beat Aston Villa on Monday night.
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