Explaining Xabi Alonso's tactics and what they mean for Chelsea's players

Xabi Alonso might have been more interested than most to see Chelsea’s starting formation in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.Chelsea’s incoming manager made his reputation as one of Europe’s most coveted young coaches at Bayer Leverkusen, implementing a sophisticated 3-4-2-1 system that powered one of the most impressive seasons in the modern history of European club football in 2023-24. His dynamic young team claimed the Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal and lost just one of the 53 matches they played across all competitions: the Europa League final against Atalanta.Advertisement