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Glaring weakness in goal remains but early signs XabiAlonso’s Chelsea should be fun | Jonathan Wilson

The failure to replace Robert Sánchez remains a mystery but the new-look front three should buy time for the new manager’s principles to bed in

Read full story on The Guardian
Jonathan Wilson at Craven Cottage24 Aug 2026, 10:33 pmUpdated 5h ago1 min readSportsGlobal
Glaring weakness in goal remains but early signs Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea should be fun | Jonathan Wilson

GlobalJonathan Wilson at Craven Cottage

The failure to replace Robert Sánchez remains a mystery but the new-look front three should buy time for the new manager’s principles to bed in

After a weekend on which pretty much every potential challenger to Arsenal had demonstrated their flaws , there was a sense, perhaps even a need, for Chelsea to emerge as a serious contender – if only to prevent the title race becoming a procession. And while they were far from flawless, there were at least some indications that they could mount some kind of challenge.

They looked extremely dangerous in the final third, and Cole Palmer was involved in all three Chelsea goals, perhaps benefiting from a first summer off in three years. But they were rather less impressive through midfield or at the back, despite Josh Acheampong’s all-action performance, while goalkeeper remains the problem it has been since Thibaut Courtois left.

After a weekend on which pretty much every potential challenger to Arsenal had demonstrated their flaws , there was a sense, perhaps even a need, for Chelsea to emerge as a serious contender – if only to prevent the title race becoming a procession. And while they were far from flawless, there were at least some indications that they could mount some kind of challenge.

This report is published with credit to The Guardian. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on The Guardian

Source: The Guardian · Jonathan Wilson at Craven Cottage. Published 24 Aug 2026, 10:33 pm.

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