If speculation holds true, Xabi Alonso could be choosing between the home and away dugouts at Anfield next season after Liverpool hosted Chelsea in a Saturday lunchtime clash. Both clubs have endured forgettable campaigns: the Reds slipped from defending champions to scrambling for a top-four finish, while the visitors risk ending the season in the bottom half unless form improves. With Arne Slot under mounting pressure and Chelsea searching for a permanent manager after Liam Rosenior’s departure, Alonso may have watched this Premier League encounter with more than casual interest.
Interim boss Calum McFarlane opted for an experimental 3-5-2 formation to counter Liverpool’s front three, giving a first start to a player returning from an ACL injury sustained in pre-season. If Alonso was observing, he would have noted the tactical shift – closely mirroring his preferred 3-4-2-1 system at Bayer Leverkusen.
McFarlane’s task was to halt Chelsea’s alarming slide, as the Blues faced a seventh straight league defeat – a run not seen since 1952. But defensive frailties persisted: Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring within six minutes. It marked the ninth time this season Chelsea conceded in the first 10 minutes, highlighting their sluggish starts.
The west London side have now gone 14 consecutive matches without a clean sheet – their worst such run in 25 years – since a 2-0 win over Brentford on January 17, shipping 24 goals in the process. Attacking woes are equally stark: João Pedro’s consolation goal against Nottingham Forest ended a drought of over 500 minutes without a Premier League strike.
Liverpool’s problems were also exposed at Anfield. They have struggled to control games as they did under Slot last season, and the crowd grew restless with stagnant build-up play. Alonso’s ability to instill fluid attacking patterns, as seen at Leverkusen in 2023/24, could address that.
Set-piece vulnerability has haunted Liverpool this term. Enzo Fernández’s wicked delivery evaded everyone, including goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, to nestle into the far corner. It was the 18th set-piece goal conceded by the Reds this campaign – the most in a single Premier League season. Only Bournemouth have conceded more from dead-ball situations.
Alonso would have no trouble identifying where both teams need reinforcements. Liverpool require a specialist right-back rather than deploying Curtis Jones out of position, while Jeremie Frimpong is clearly trusted only in advanced roles. Chelsea, despite spending over €1.8 billion on transfers in four years, need wholesale changes in virtually every department. That wing-back Marc Cucurella was their most dangerous attacking threat underscores their final-third deficiencies.
With blunt attacks and leaky defenses, the bar for improvement is low for Alonso. There is talent to work with, and the prospect of linking up with Florian Wirtz at Liverpool or Cole Palmer at Chelsea must be enticing. The only question is whether he lands in London or Liverpool this summer – but after a 1-1 draw, both projects desperately need fresh ideas.
