Xabi Alonso rues Chelsea’s defensive lapses in Hull City draw

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said his side lacked the control and resilience required to protect a lead after being held by Hull City, with João Pedro’s late intervention rescuing a point following two costly defensive moments.

Key takeaways

• Rogers put Chelsea in front in the seventh minute with a finish beyond Konstantinos Tzolakis.
• Mohamed Belloumi scored twice as Hull overturned the early deficit, with Jorrel Hato and Levi Colwill involved in the defensive breakdowns.
• João Pedro struck into the top of the net from Cole Palmer’s pass to bring Chelsea level.
• Alonso said his team did not merit more than a draw despite creating late openings to win.
• Chelsea travel to Brentford on Friday before the international break, then host Bournemouth on October 10.

Alonso calls for greater consistency

Alonso was frustrated that Chelsea could not maintain the standard they showed during their encouraging opening spell. He said the result was disappointing because his players had set out to win, but accepted that parts of the display fell below the required level once they had gone ahead.

The Chelsea head coach believed his side had been too easily exposed for Hull’s first goal and stressed that a productive 15 or 20 minutes cannot carry a team through a full match. His concern was the drop in momentum and intensity, even though Chelsea had opportunities to score more themselves.

Hull’s equaliser arrived when Hato failed to deal with a bouncing ball in the Chelsea area, allowing Belloumi to capitalise. The Algerian winger struck again soon afterwards, with his effort taking a deflection from Colwill on its way in to give the visitors the advantage.

Chelsea eventually found a response through João Pedro, who met Palmer’s set-up with a powerful finish high into the goal. Alonso said there were another one or two chances to claim a winner, but noted that his side remained vulnerable while pushing forward. “We can improve,” he said, adding that Chelsea ultimately received the outcome their performance warranted.

New squad still taking shape

The draw follows a mixed start to Alonso’s Chelsea tenure. The Blues began with attacking victories over Fulham, 3-2, and Brighton, 4-3, before losing 2-1 to Arsenal and then dropping further points against Hull.

Alonso pointed to the scale of the work still being done in west London, with new arrivals and a new coaching group bedding in. He said Chelsea need to become sturdier and more controlled, and expects the side to manage matches more effectively in the coming months as the new group develops an identity.

Friday’s away game at Brentford is Chelsea’s last match before the international pause. Alonso will then have a chance to work further with his squad before the Premier League schedule resumes with Bournemouth’s visit to Stamford Bridge on October 10.