Updated: 25 May 2026 10:40 BST |
7 min read
After leaving Real Madrid in January, Xabi Alonso looked destined to replace Arne Slot at Liverpool and secure a fairytale return to Anfield. Instead, he has agreed to become Chelsea’s first ‘manager’ since Jose Mourinho in 2013 and he is remarkably already under huge pressure before even stepping foot in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
A 2-1 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon confirmed a 10th place finish for Chelsea in the 2025-26 Premier League season and they will therefore be without European football for the second time during BlueCo’s four-year spell as owners.
The Blues’ league finishes under their new owners read: 12th, sixth, fourth and 10th. With €1.7 billion spent on signings, it’s been a catastrophic failure and proof that money doesn’t equal immediate success in football.
Their strategy has been misguided and their player-trading approach to the transfer market is yet to reap any benefits.
Defeat at the Stadium of Light.#CFC | #SUNCHE pic.twitter.com/9Pli3o3u3y
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 24, 2026
Last summer, after Champions League qualification, Europa Conference League victory and a surprise Club World Cup triumph, Chelsea looked to be heading in an upward trajectory. League finishes had gradually improved during the three years of the BlueCo reign and their youthful team looked ready to compete at the sharp end of the Premier League table.
The reality has been vastly different. Chelsea have instead regressed massively and the disastrous appointment of Liam Rosenior in January has caused the club to arguably reach a new low. After a 4-1 win over Aston Villa in March, Chelsea only needed a measly six points from their final nine English top flight fixtures to finish seventh and secure Europa League football.
However, they amassed just four – courtesy of one win, one draw and seven defeats – with only Burnley picking up fewer points during that period.
In a time of desperate need, BlueCo have turned to Alonso and by appointing him as a ‘manager’ rather than a ‘head coach’, they have put all their faith in him. The Spaniard will have a direct influence on Chelsea’s summer transfer business and he will command a huge level of authority at Stamford Bridge.
However, there are a number of huge issues he must fix upon his arrival.
Disillusioned stars
There is quite obviously a vast gap between Chelsea’s best players and the ones who simply aren’t good enough for a team wanting to challenge for major honours.
The problem is, most of the club’s standout performers either want to leave or would at least entertain the idea of departing this summer.
Enzo Fernandez is quite clearly eager to join Real Madrid or secure a reunion with Enzo Maresca at Manchester City, Marc Cucurella could return to Spain and there are serious questions over whether Cole Palmer is entirely happy with the west London giants.
Meanwhile, Joao Pedro has been heavily linked with Barcelona in recent weeks and rumours of a Camp Nou switch refuse to go away, despite Chelsea’s reluctance to offload him.
It’s no surprise that Chelsea’s stars have grown dissatisfied with their current plight and Alonso’s first act in west London will be to ensure the Blues’ best players remain committed to the project despite a torrid and deflating campaign.
Rotten culture
Chelsea’s squad is talented, but the players are also incredibly immature and they so clearly lack the nous needed to regularly compete across an entire league season.
Wesley Fofana’s red card versus Sunderland was their eighth of the Premier League campaign – twice as many as the next highest club in the division – and their 11th in all competitions. Once again, it was their ill-discipline that cost them.
After the Frenchman’s dismissal, Chelsea simply lost their heads. They felt that decisions from referee Chris Kavanagh consistently went against them and they essentially resorted to kicking their opponents – with nine fouls committed in the second-half. It’s Sunday League stuff, yet Chelsea have regularly been unable to deal with adversity throughout this campaign.
Dissent is rife within their ranks and it doesn’t help when vice-captain Enzo Fernandez is arguably the worst culprit.
The attitude of several Chelsea players is often extremely poor on the pitch and it comes to fruition far too regularly when they are losing – with Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer and the aforementioned Fofana all guilty of this on multiple occasions in 2025-26.
Defensive woes bite Chelsea again
Malo Gusto enjoyed an excellent debut season at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino, but he hasn’t looked like the same player since. He was poor throughout Maresca’s first campaign in charge and while his form certainly improved during the opening months of 2025-26, it has regressed massively since the turn of the year.
He has regularly made poor defensive decisions, such as the penalty he conceded versus Nottingham Forest at the start of May, his lack of concentration at the back post is a real concern and there are very few occasions in which he has been threatening in the final-third.
Against Sunderland, it was his own-goal that put Regis Le Bris’ side 2-0 up in the 50th minute, with the Frenchman inexplicably poking the ball into the Chelsea net after a tame shot from Brian Brobbey.
“Sunderland are hitting heights”
Gusto scores own goal 😬 pic.twitter.com/BetUY8UPSQ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2026
It was the culmination of a torrid run of form that has raised serious questions over whether Gusto is good enough for Chelsea. For many fans, he simply isn’t.
Meanwhile, Fofana was sent off for the second time this season and it may well prove to be his final appearance for the club, with Chelsea in desperate need of a new centre-back to partner Levi Colwill.
More signings are needed
Chelsea have spent so much money on so many players, yet they still look miles off competing at the sharp end of the Premier League table.
Their goalkeeper is inconsistent, their defence is unreliable, their midfield is excellent on paper but often weak in reality, while their attack is extremely underwhelming.
Without Joao Pedro, Chelsea could genuinely have been in a relegation battle this season and they realistically need a fairly major squad overhaul for the umpteenth time since BlueCo arrived in 2022.
Alonso, therefore, faces an uphill battle to succeed as Chelsea manager and with the hierarchy relying on him to lead the project to where it’s supposed to be, he is already under huge pressure to perform.
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