Chelsea: Marcos Alonso took his striker tendencies too far against Man U

Some of Chelsea’s individual and team tendencies jumped the shark in the draw against Manchester United. Marcos Alonso got carried away going forward at the expense of too many chances going the other way.

Marcos Alonso started the season in a left wingback frame of mind despite being a fullback under Maurizio Sarri. This was useful in creating the asymmetry Sarri likes in his full-backs. Alonso moved up and in, Azpilicueta stayed deeper so he could protect the centre-backs as necessary. The set-up worked to their individual strengths, as well, so everyone was happy.

As the season progressed, Alonso’s positioning and play started to look more like a shadow striker than a fullback or wingback. Once he entered the opponent’s half he would move towards the half-space as Mateo Kovacic would come out to cover the flank. Alonso would then move into the penalty area as the play progressed into the final third. Chelsea’s press and possession, along with Kovacic’s defensive abilities, minimized the risk of the opponent playing a quick series of outlet passes to start a counter-attack along Chelsea’s left.

Alonso had Chelsea’s best scoring opportunity from open play in the first half against Manchester United. He found a spacious gap in United’s back line and timed his run to stay onside as he latched onto a perfect 20-yard pass from Antonio Rudiger. Alonso received the ball in several yards of space in the penalty area. Unfortunately, he chose that moment to imitate Romelu Lukaku’s first touch. The ball got away from him and what would have been an almost certain goal from a one-v-one situation evaporated.

Minutes later, the Blues were on the attack again and Alonso continued his run through United’s penalty area and into the right wing. He was approaching Willian’s usual domain when United recovered the ball and played it immediately to the now-vacant Chelsea left flank.

This left Eden Hazard chasing Anthony Martial as Chelsea’s centre-backs scrambled to recover. The best Alonso could do was run into the channel between Martial and David Luiz to block a cross or cut-back pass. Hazard had no choice but to bring down Martial at the edge of Chelsea’s box, picking up his first yellow card since April.

Ten minutes into the second half, United were threatening Chelsea’s penalty area and Marcos Alonso went to ground under strong but not heavy contact. He did his best impression of a centre-forward, staying on the floor and hoping – praying – for a whistle. Unfortunately, he was a bit confused. That trick only works when you are in your opponent’s box. In your own box, it leads to a wide open shot for Anthony Martial standing just a few yards away from your seemingly lifeless carcass.

Mike Dean made plenty of his usual Mike Dean-ish calls, but this was not one of them. The initial contact was not a foul, nor was it to Alonso’s head. Dean was under no obligation to stop the play, nor were United bound by any of the gentlemanly norms of the game. Marcos Alonso gave Anthony Martial another gift, and this time Eden Hazard was not around to save him.

Had Alonso even done so much as stumbled to his feet he could have forced Martial to take a step towards an open shooting lane. That could have provided just enough time for Kepa Arrizabalaga to position himself better, for the other Chelsea defenders to close on Martial (unlikely, considering how they didn’t on the second Martial goal) or for Martial to ice himself (doubtful, but possible). Since Alonso showed no signs of injury by the time play restarted, let alone require treatment, we can only assume he could have done more than pin his hopes on Mike Dean’s capricious whistle (which is always Red, anyway).

Manchester United were the wrong opponent for Alonso to get carried away with his tendencies to act like a striker. Chelsea certainly need more creation and goals from players other than Eden Hazard, and Alonso has all the necessary attributes. He was Chelsea’s third-leading scorer last season.

But Marcos Alonso cannot sacrifice his defensive duties and his team’s defensive foundation in pursuit of offensive moments.

Because fullbacks always have an offensive component – particularly fullbacks like Marcos Alonso – it is not the same situation Chelsea and other teams face with their goalkeepers and centre-backs. Those latter positions are caught in a trendy moment wherein nominal versatility is prized above fundamental competence (see: Allison’s and Jordan Pickford’s Cruyff turns; Luiz, David). Full-backs need to go forward, and sometimes this will leave their team exposed on the counter. They need to find the balance between the two sides of their job.

Even for a player like Marcos Alonso in an offence-oriented team like Maurizio Sarri’s, he is still a member of the back-line. He needs to restore that balance, especially against teams like Manchester United.

Until Maurizio Sarri finally throws in the towel on Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, and then decides he will not use Eden Hazard or Ross Barkley as a false-nine, Marcos Alonso is not a striker, shadow or otherwise. He is a fullback, a wonderfully two-way fullback, but one who must remember the less glamorous but more fundamental part of the job.