Why Henderson-Caicedo axis is the midfield solution for Chelsea after James blow

"They give presence." Xabi Alonso sat up a little more in his press conference seat and pointed to his chest. "They give stability."

Chelsea have made an erratic start under the Spaniard but last Saturday the midfield partnership of Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson brought control and balance to the team in a 5-1 thrashing of Bournemouth.

"For me, it's fundamental that we get that area strong," Alonso told the media after that game, well aware of how Chelsea's excellent attacking play in the early weeks of the season has been undermined by a leaky defence, exposed in end-to-end contests.

The answer lies in the middle of the pitch.

Alonso, a star central midfielder himself during his playing days, has used a variety of players and combinations in that area through his first six Premier League games.

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Reece James has been a regular selection. But the Chelsea captain's knee surgery, which is going to keep him out for the coming months, necessitates Alonso settling on a different option.

The Caicedo-Henderson combination could be the partnership he takes forward, with Everton away up next. They showed their character and quality last time out.

Caicedo's return to fitness was always going to be a key element to the solution. The Ecuadorian had been limited to just 14 minutes of football this season before playing 72 against Bournemouth.

His impact on the team was clear at Stamford Bridge. He topped the tackles won and interceptions metric for Chelsea, and also used the ball efficiently, posting a 96.4 percent passing accuracy, the best of any starter from either side.

"With him, we have a better midfield area," said Alonso plainly.

"When you are better in the middle, you have a more complete team, and I think that is something to build around.

"He's going to be a key player for us. We knew that, and we have seen today."

But if Caicedo delivered his expected attributes, Henderson delivered a couple of sensational surprises, whipping in two brilliant long-range goals. His influence with his all-round game - at 36 years of age - may be an even bigger surprise to his critics.

The former Liverpool captain's controversial switch to Al Ettifaq in 2023 and subsequent struggles at Ajax seemed to be spelling the end to his career. But after Brentford brought him back to these shores, England boss Thomas Tuchel saw the situation differently, taking Henderson to the World Cup.

Now Alonso is giving him an even more prominent role.

"We signed him for everything - if he's able to score two beauties, as today, we are more than happy for him," smiled Alonso when asked about the player of the match.

Henderson was everywhere against Bournemouth. He covered 11.9km, the most of any player, despite setting the record for being the oldest Chelsea player to be directly involved in three goals in a Premier League game.

"Apart from the goals, he's done many, many good things," said Alonso.

"A very 'midfielder' performance, always being involved in the action, always giving solutions to the team-mates."

The wider impact was crucial. Alonso described Chelsea's display as "a very complete performance" and said Henderson and Caicedo bring the best out of players around them.

"Both, in terms of qualities, are different, in terms of the positioning as well. I think that they help each other well," said Alonso.

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"And they give presence, they give stability. You know that they are going to be the ones that are going to be helping the rest, not just for his qualities, because they understand the game, they can play in shorter spaces, but as well, defensively, they give good balance."

Alonso made a point of referencing Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco in his post-match assessment last Saturday and he did the same in his pre-Everton press conference on Friday. They are two players who have also been deployed in central midfield this term.

Squad depth is going to be important, even if Chelsea are not involved in Europe this season. But the Caicedo-Henderson axis could be his winning formula.

Everton away on Saturday will be the next test to see if the pair can continue to bring cohesion and control to Alonso's Chelsea.