Mansion Sports – Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso admitted that his team felt the pain after suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to fellow London rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

The Blues took an early lead at Emirates Stadium, but they were ultimately beaten by a spirited comeback from Mikel Arteta’s side.

Alonso Reflects on the Pain of the Derby

The Blues made a perfect start to the afternoon when £117 million summer signing Morgan Rogers opened the scoring just two minutes after the match began.

However, goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard turned the match around for The Gunners, leaving Alonso to reflect on what might have been in a high-intensity encounter in North London.

“It hurts. It hurts because defeats have to hurt,” Alonso told Sky Sports after the final whistle.

“It was a very intense game with moments of everything. We had chances to equalize. There were also some chances in the first half. We are never happy when we lose.”

“After we scored, there were 15-20 minutes when we had to defend too much and we struggled a little to control the game.”

“Then we had a better period with the ball. Overall, it was a very tight and very intense game.”

“We could have done better with the second goal because we conceded too quickly. The players gave everything, trying every possible way. It has to hurt.”

Tactical Approach and Set Pieces

Despite the defeat, Alonso sought to defend his tactical setup and the aggressive approach Chelsea displayed at Emirates Stadium.

The proactive strategy saw The Blues make Premier League history by becoming the first team ever to score within the opening five minutes in each of their first three matches of a season, as well as the first team to score an early goal in three consecutive league matches since Newcastle United in December 2024.

The Spanish coach emphasized that his team is still adapting to his philosophy as they work toward developing consistency over the long term.

“It is about preparing in the best possible way to compete in the best possible way. You need to control the overload on the right side. That is part of the game, to have actions like this.”

“We keep going. This is only the third match and the journey will be very, very long. You make decisions, you determine the approach. We want to be active and take the initiative.”

“Sometimes through set pieces, sometimes by pressing high or lower. I think that is what you need to compete at all stages. Today we came here trying to compete as well as possible, now we need to continue.”

Lessons from Emirates

The defeat leaves Chelsea in fourth place with six points, while Arsenal maintained their perfect start to the campaign.

Alonso insisted that although the result was disappointing, he saw the right signs from his squad as they seek to establish a consistent identity following a summer of significant investment, having spent nearly £350 million in the transfer market to reshape Stamford Bridge.

“I learn about the game, about us, about what we are doing, what we are starting,” the manager said when asked about the gap between the two teams.

“The players have this attitude, this desire to compete better from game to game to create something that we believe in. So far, I am happy. We want to win matches, that is the main objective.”

Managing Squad Injuries

Chelsea were forced to play the derby without several key players, and Alonso acknowledged that the lack of depth in certain areas contributed to the final result.

However, he refused to use the absence of star players as an excuse, praising the efforts of those who started as The Blues now look to recover when they host promoted side Hull City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

“You have to deal with injuries, the squad loses injured players. The players we had gave their full effort. Today they gave their best and gave everything,” Alonso added.