According to London Football Statistics, Chelsea achieved something on Monday night at Craven Cottage in their victory against Fulham that they had managed only once in the previous season.

In the previous season, Chelsea had only one Premier League match in which their running distance was not worse, and they finished bottom of the league in average running distance. However, in the first round of the new season, Chelsea started strongly, with their running distance ranking first among all teams in the top English league.

On Monday night at Craven Cottage against Fulham, Pedro Neto scored the opening goal for Chelsea. Joshua King then equalized by beating Robert Sánchez at the near post, before Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea's lead. Shortly after the second half began, Palmer also scored, sending the ball between Bernd Leno's legs. Fulham reduced the deficit through Gonzalo Higuaín, but Chelsea held their advantage under pressure and secured three important points.

Chelsea was determined to secure their first opening-day Premier League victory in four years, and they achieved it in impressive fashion by covering more ground than any other team in the top English division. Chelsea ran 123.2 kilometers, while Fulham ran 123.1 kilometers.

Arsenal ran 119.8 kilometers on Friday night at Emirates Stadium against Coventry City, and Hull City ran 118.5 kilometers against Manchester United at MKM Stadium. Bournemouth also showed good running statistics, covering 117.9 kilometers at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City.

After the first round, Chelsea's team ranked first in the Premier League in average running distance. This improvement is significant when considering the sluggish performance of the team under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. In the previous season, Chelsea did not outrun an opponent in an English top-flight match until May 2024, in their game against Liverpool at Anfield Road.

In that match, Chelsea drew 1–1 with Liverpool and ran 103.6 kilometers compared to Liverpool's 102.9 kilometers. However, this change in physical intensity did not last long, as Chelsea's running distance fell behind Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland in the final two matches of the season.

The sample size is still small, and it is too early to say whether this is part of a deliberate tactical plan, but Marcos Alonso has clearly made a conscious effort to demand more running intensity from his Chelsea players. While this does not necessarily indicate good or poor performance directly, previous managers had failed to address Chelsea's lack of engagement.

In an interview with reporters in December 2023, Maresca attempted to explain the team's lack of running distance. Before Chelsea ran 7 kilometers less than their opponents at Elland Road and suffered a 1–3 defeat to Leeds United, the Italian manager explained: "It can also depend on how the opponent defends us.

"Again, if the opponent presses high, it means you have more space because the attacking area is larger and you can run more. If the opponent only defends deep, there is not enough space behind to sprint into.

"So, in my opinion, it depends on how the opponent plays. I think that is the reason."

Until May 2024, Maresca again attributed the lack of running distance to squad composition issues. He claimed Chelsea lacked players who could handle the physical demands of frequent transitions, which is why the team played more slowly at that point and focused more on ball possession.

The former Chelsea manager said: "We are not good at playing transition-heavy football. If you look at our worst moments this season or those difficult matches, they all happened when the game shifted into a transition phase."

Rosenior also failed to resolve the intensity problem. Shortly before his dismissal, the former Chelsea manager blamed the players for lacking "desire, fighting spirit, and courage," believing it was a psychological issue.

Following Chelsea's 0–3 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium in April 2024, Rosenior told reporters: "It's a question of responsibility. There are times when it is right to defend players, but I cannot defend this performance.

"It does not represent this football club, nor does it represent what I demand from this team, and it must change. I am somewhat numb right now, very angry. I always speak only about what I see, and today's performance is unacceptable.

"The goals we conceded are unacceptable, and I must take responsibility for that," Rosenior added. "I will look at this team, and I will look at individual players, and I will see who I can trust to at least do the basics of football. At this competitive level, we should not still be discussing the fundamentals of football.

"We must improve this as quickly as possible. The problem tonight was not tactics, but desire, fighting spirit, and courage, and I did not see enough of that tonight. Far from good enough, we must do better."

Therefore, in the coming week or so, when Chelsea face Luton Town in the second round of the League Cup and Brighton in the Premier League, outsiders will observe whether Marcos Alonso has truly made a difference.

Data provided by Opta, TNT Sports, BBC, and Fotmob.

Übersetzt von KI.

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