CAN CHELSEA KEEP WINNING WITHOUT KEEPING THE BALL

Alonso's Leverkusen stood out for how much control they wanted. Although Real Madrid always have lots of the ball in LaLiga because they have so much talent, Alonso's Madrid had more control than any Madrid side we've seen in a long time. If anything, Alonso's desire for control -- and what it required from superstars like Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior -- is what led to his demise.

Perhaps Alonso doesn't want a repeat of what happened in Madrid. Had he tailored his approach to his three star attackers -- Mbappe, Vini, and Jude Bellingham -- the way he has with Chelsea, then he'd probably still be sitting on the sideline in Spain.

Exerting control nowadays requires organized and aggressive pressing from your attackers to win the ball back after you lose it. His Madrid players refused to do it. And now, Chelsea have been the least aggressive pressing team in the Premier League through the first three matches. They're allowing a league-high 18.89 passes per defensive action (PPDA), while the league average is 12.20.

But the dialed-back press hasn't made Chelsea particularly hard to break down, either. They've conceded the fifth-most shots in the league, the 11th-most xG, and the second-most touches inside of the penalty area.

Perhaps the solution to all of this is the currently injured Moisés Caicedo. He's only played 14 minutes so far this season, and dropping one of the best defensive midfielders in the world into this system will obviously help. Not only should he give Chelsea a little more control, but he should be able to break up more of the opposition possessions before they reach the penalty area.