Alonso: We will improve despite conceding goals, and this is what we need

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso spoke about his team's 2-2 draw with Hull City on Saturday evening at Stamford Bridge, emphasizing the need for the team to improve its defensive performance after conceding goals repeatedly.

Alonso said: "Yes, perhaps the matches are entertaining, but I hope that one day you will say it was a boring match and that we won without giving these entertaining moments. There are certainly some patterns that repeat and we do, and it will take time or moments to fix them."

He added: "When we take the lead, we must continue to compete and not give them a chance to come back so easily, especially with the first goal; we could have dealt with it much better. Until that point, we were in control and creating chances, but the momentum we had changed, as did the atmosphere of the match and the scoreline. This is something we need to talk about and address, and we will improve, but it affects our performance level at the moment."

Regarding the change in playing style, Alonso explained: "It depends on the characteristics of the players. You could say we played with three or four defenders, but it’s about choosing the players, their attributes, and the positions they perform best in. Today Malo Gusto played in good positions, and we tried to find him and connect with the other players on the right side, so the change wasn't significant for me."

Regarding Chelsea's performance in set pieces, he said: "Overall, I think we are better in attack than in defense in every aspect. We know this is an important topic and a key focus for us. Certainly, these are only four matches, but I don't like this pattern regarding conceding goals, and we need to do much better."

He added: "Whether in open play or from long set pieces, as well as in strength and competitive spirit, we can be better."

Regarding the defensive desire of his players, Alonso stated: "We can do better, we can definitely do that. We need to understand that even when we take the lead, a very important part of the game is to maintain our cohesion, keep the distances between the lines, and play strongly in defensive situations. I am sure we can do a better job."

Chelsea's manager explained that the team needs to be more focused, saying: "We need to realize that from any situation, any team in the Premier League can hurt you. Today, the danger came from a long ball and two rebounds, and the way it happened, you have to be aware and completely ready because the danger can come from any situation."

He added: "If you are weak or unprepared, you will be punished, and we were punished in this way."