Chelsea lost 0-2 at home to Tottenham in the 8th round of the Premier League. After the match, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso spoke to "Match of the Day" about the team's performance, Mike Penders' error, Cole Palmer's red card, and other topics.
About the match
Xabi Alonso: "I think the match had many different phases. In the first half, I wanted the team to play with greater intensity and press high, but we weren't strong enough in physical duels. We created some chances in the first half. At halftime, we discussed adjustments, and we started the second half slightly better. Pedro Neto had a good opportunity. We had talked beforehand about how crucial the first goal would be. When they scored, I thought: 'This is not the result we wanted.'"
"The red card came immediately after. I'm disappointed with the result, and we must be honest about our performance. We could have played better."
On the team's performance
Xabi Alonso: "There were moments when we planned to play more actively and aggressively. However, when we had possession, we lacked composure and failed to build attacks through enough passing moves. This was a derby, and difficulties are inevitable in such matches. You have to learn how to handle these tough moments. One key moment was conceding the first goal."
On Mike Penders' error
Xabi Alonso: "This is football. It's about creating great performances, but also about dealing with difficult moments. We will support Mike Penders. At times like these, we must stick together and face it as a team."
On João Pedro's absence
Xabi Alonso: "It's easy to talk about absent players, but with the squad we currently have, we believe we can certainly do better. We must be self-critical and take responsibility."
On Cole Palmer's red card
Xabi Alonso: "I need to review the incident again. In such a tight match, being 0-1 down is very difficult. It affected our emotional control."