Xabi Alonso unlocks Chelsea's very own Cristiano Ronaldo as controversial transfer vindicated

· FootballLondon

Xabi Alonso watched on with delight as Chelsea thumped Bournemouth 5-1

Jordan Henderson made quite the impression during Chelsea's spectacular 5-1 win over Bournemouth. The 36-year-old midfielder, whom the Blues signed following the expiration of his contract at Brentford in the summer, stole the show at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, silencing his critics in excellent fashion.

Henderson broke the deadlock inside the opening minute or so, bending the ball into the top corner from just outside the box. No more than 90 seconds or so later, the England international picked out Morgan Rogers, cut inside from the left wing and found the same top right-hand corner, with a little help along the way from the crown of Antonio Silva's head.

Then, in the second half, Henderson showed his quality again when he stepped up to take a free-kick in front of the Matthew Harding Stand. Putting the cherry on top of a brilliant performance, the Liverpool legend curled the ball over the wall and past Djordje Petrovic.

Cole Palmer, who had signed a lucrative new contract just hours before the game, extending his stay until at least June 2034, was expected to take centre stage, but it was Henderson who stole the limelight. Xabi Alonso certainly raised eyebrows when he settled for the signing of the veteran, having previously missed out on his primary target, Granit Xhaka.

But Henderson has already had the last laugh, showcasing exactly why he was added to the engine room. So, with the help of Opta, football.london has taken a look at Henderson’s game in numbers.

- As well as scoring two goals and providing one assist, Henderson also made one interception, blocked one shot, completed two key passes, won two aerial duels, and recorded three clearances. The Blues midfielder also covered 12km, more ground than any other player. - Only Emile Heskey, for Derby County in April 1998, has both scored and assisted earlier in a Premier League game than Henderson, who achieved the feat in just under two and a half minutes. - Henderson became the oldest player to be directly involved in three goals in a Premier League match and the oldest for any English top-flight club since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2022, when he did so for Manchester United against Norwich City. - In doing so, at 36 years and 115 days old, Henderson broke a club record previously held by the late Gianluca Vialli at 33 years and 245 days old. - For just the second time in his Premier League career, with 465 appearances in the tank, Henderson recorded three goal involvements in a single match. The last time he managed such a feat was more than 13 years ago, when Liverpool faced Newcastle in April 2013.

Alonso was delighted with the Chelsea midfielder’s ‘very complete’ performance. Speaking to reporters after the game, the Blues manager showered Henderson with praise and explained the significance of his relationship with Moises Caicedo in the double pivot.

> “We signed him for everything,” said Alonso, when asked in jest if the former Liverpool and Brentford midfielder was signed for his goals. “If he's able to score two beauties today, we are more than happy for him. > > “But apart from the goals, he's done many, many good things. I think that today was a very complete performance.”

Alonso continued:

> “I think, taking away the goals, he's played a very midfielder performance, always being involved in the action, always giving solutions to the teammates. The way he plays, he needs to communicate with the players around.”

When asked how Henderson and Caicedo complement each other, Alonso said:

> “Both in terms of qualities are different, in terms of the positioning as well. I think that they help each other well, and they give presence, they give stability. > > “You know that they are going to be the ones [who] are going to be helping the rest, not just for their qualities, because they understand the game. They can play in shorter spaces, but defensively they give good balance. > > “For me, it's fundamental that we get that area strong, and for sure, with Moises, Hendo played today, it was his second game. Romeo [Lavia] as well, he played good minutes, Reece [James] has played there a little bit for some minutes, and [Valentin] Barco, so we need to keep building around that.”

It's about time Henderson was given his flowers...

Read the original

People in this story

Related