Chelsea bounced back from their disappointing home defeat to rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a solid 2-0 home triumph over Manchester United last weekend. Xabi Alonso has now overseen five wins and three defeats in his opening nine league matches. It’s been a topsy-turvy start to life in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
It perhaps is no coincidence, then, that three of their five wins have come with Romeo Lavia in the starting XI. The Belgian started his fifth league match of the season in the victory last weekend. It marked the first time the 22-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in the Premier League game since his 2023 arrival from Southampton.
“It was a top-class performance. His performance was very complete from a midfielder’s point of view,” the Chelsea head coach said. From an individual as talented as Alonso was in his playing days, it was high praise indeed.
Romeo Lavia must stay in Xabi Alonso's Chelsea XI
The issue for Lavia, though, has so often been the inability to remain fit for prolonged periods of time. Saturday marked just his 20th top-flight start since making the move to the capital. He’s already bettered last season’s haul of four league starts. Yet when fit, the former Saints man showcased just why he has had the faith of managers, both past and present.
Operating at the base of the 4-2-3-1 setup, Alonso needs a player who is able to both retain possession and advance play effectively. As he proved against Man United, Lavia does so to a very good standard. An 88.9% pass success rate was the fifth highest of all Chelsea starters in that game, while only Wesley Fofana (76) made more passes (72).
Only Morgan Rogers, Estevao and Cole Palmer (3 each) created more chances than Lavia's two, who was credited with the assist for the former’s opener. Admittedly, Rogers did all the hard work as he slalomed through the Man United midfield and finished with aplomb. Nevertheless, it was a commendable haul from Lavia, who prior to the win had created just two chances in the previous six league outings combined.
Admittedly, Lisandro Martinez’s dismissal midway through the second half helped the Blues' cause. That they were able to maximise their numerical advantage is testament to Chelsea’s in-game management under Alonso.
It proved Lavia is more than just a tempo-setter in the middle of the park. After all, he finished top for tackles (5) and second for interceptions (4) of all Chelsea players last weekend. The youngster maintained a 100% tackle success rate in the home triumph.
Some might assume that Lavia and Moises Caicedo will compete for the same position in the team, but that would be a common misconception. Both carried out their own individual roles in the win over Michael Carrick’s men, as Caicedo fared slightly better in possession, which in turn enabled Chelsea to dominate proceedings.
Either way, it was a partnership that worked well together, and one that supporters surely hope provides the midfield foundation for the west London side going forward. That will only come to fruition, however, should Lavia completely overcome his injury issues. A lack of European action will aid the player, with lower demands on his body to play once every three days.
In the end, it was a stroke of luck that brought Lavia back into the fold. Read misfortune, if you’re Chelsea or summer transfer target Lamine Camara. The Blues agreed a fee with Monaco for the Senegal international, only for the French side to pull the plug on the deal at the last minute as striker Folarin Balogun closed in a switch to Everton. The American’s move fell through, and it meant Monaco were stuck with the pair, which, due to financial issues, was far from ideal.
Chelsea’s loss has since proven to be Lavia’s gain. Keeping him fit in the long-run is now the priority. Yet, with Alonso seemingly managing his workload accordingly, and praising him following the standout display against Man United, Chelsea’s failure to get the Camara deal over the line could, ultimately, prove their gain, too.
Lavia had become something of a forgotten man in Cobham, as he spent ample time in the physio room. Saturday proved a timely reminder of his quality and showed why, when available, he should be Caicedo’s midfield partner in Alonso’s favoured setup.
