Three matches into his time at Stamford Bridge, Xabi Alonso has given Chelsea supporters plenty to celebrate and plenty to fret about. His side have won all three. They have also shipped five goals in two Premier League outings.
The run began with a 3-2 win at Fulham and continued with a 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Luton Town. It peaked in a 4-3 thriller against Brighton and Hove Albion on 30 August, where Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer scored and Joao Pedro found the net at both ends.
What the Xabi Alonso Chelsea record actually means
Opta’s post-match stats flagged something rare. Alonso is only the fourth manager whose team has scored seven or more goals in his first two Premier League matches.
Bobby Robson managed eight with Newcastle United in September 1999, Michael Laudrup eight with Swansea City in August 2012, and Marcelo Bielsa seven with Leeds United in September 2020. The two goals against Luton do not even count towards that tally.
From a Bernabeu sacking to a Fulham reunion
Alonso reached England the hard way. He won an unbeaten Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023/24 and took the Real Madrid job in June 2025, only to lose it in January after a Supercopa final defeat to Barcelona. Alvaro Arbeloa stepped up from Castilla to replace him.
The two Spaniards have since landed in the same division. Arbeloa now runs Fulham, and his opening two league matches brought defeats to Chelsea and Sunderland. It has been a loud start across the country, with a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick lighting up Manchester United’s win over Ipswich.
Seven goals in two league games buys goodwill, not safety. Five conceded in the same window is the number Alonso keeps being asked about, and it is the one that decides whether a flying start becomes a title challenge.
