Chelsea’s most important goal? Marcos Alonso sealed UCL place in week two
Chelsea effectively clinched Champions League football for 2019/20 on matchday two of this season’s Premier League campaign. Once all the fixtures had been played out, just two points separated the North London outfit, Arsenal, and the boys from SW6.
A quick scan at the season’s results reveal Chelsea prevented Arsenal from reaching a seat at Europe’s top table twice. Clearly, victory over the Gunners in Baku in the Europa League final ultimately put the kibosh on them making the Champions League. However, it was a certain Spanish left-back who retrospectively clinched Chelsea’s third place spot in the Premier League.
Way back on August 18, when Maurizio Sarri was still trying to find a way to play his football and those Chelsea players that took to the field only understood winning, Marcos Alonso stepped into the spotlight with a timely reminder of how the small details in football matter so much but are so easily forgotten.
Chelsea began that home fixture against Unai Emery’s side with an intensity they seldom matched in the second half of the season. They quickly went two goals in front only to be pegged back to 2-2 before the halftime interval. It took the introduction of Eden Hazard to aid the breakthrough that secured the victory. Hazard’s run at the Arsenal back-line produced the pass that Alonso tucked away through the legs of Petr Cech.
Without that crucial goal – had the game stayed level at two apiece – Chelsea would have finished the season on just 70 points. Arsenal, on the other hand, would have edged the Blues with 71 points, landing Arsenal just behind Tottenham on goal differential in the Champions League places..
It’s very easy to write players off without so much as a second thought, but Alonso, for all his faults, also contributed an assist in that same game.
As if that were not enough, the Spaniard’s quick thinking secured another vital point at Old Trafford at the end of April. Whilst Alonso has had his share of critics this season there can be no doubting his contribution to the team’s success this year.
It’s often the case that decisions made by match officials even themselves out over a season. An iffy offside here, a dodgy line call there cancel each other out over time.
The same ought to be said of players. It’s easy in these troubled internet days to jump on the backs of players when they make a mistake. As fans, that may make us angry, but that was never their intention.
More. Marcos Alonso's goal shows how Chelsea's 'false 3' is better than their true 9. light
The highlight of his Chelsea career came at Wembley Stadium in August 2017 when a stunning free-kick and an 88′ winner beat those perennial bottlers Tottenham Hotspur. Alonso broke through under Antonio Conte as a wingback in the Italian’s revamped system. Conte having switched from four at the back to three at the start of his tenure, Alonso, like Victor Moses on the other side of the pitch, shone.
Maurizio Sarri’s methods made that role obsolete and the return to a more defensive role found the Spaniard out to a degree. Moses has not been seen since Sarri arrived.
Next. Chelsea's next XI: Massimiliano Allegri's 4-2-3-1 has Blues in their best roles. dark
Alonso has felt the heat of the social media trolls more than most this season. As we enter the summer break, the rumours of a return to his homeland abound with Atletico Madrid his likely destination. If he does leave, his contribution to the cause during his time with Chelsea should not be overlooked. After all it’s the little things that can make a big difference.