Alonso: Morgan has settled in well with teammates, as if he had been at Chelsea for four years

In the third round of the Premier League, Chelsea lost 1-2 away to Arsenal. After the match, Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso spoke to the club's official media.

Xabi, first of all, it is clearly a disappointing result. How would you assess the team's performance today?

Yes, of course, we are disappointed with the result. We came here to win, and when you end up with nothing, that feeling is painful. But we really fought very hard. We did not do many things well, and that is also part of the process. We need to learn from today's match.

What aspects of today's performance were you relatively satisfied with?

I liked the spirit the team showed and the attitude of continuing to fight until the end. We knew the match would be very intense and very difficult, but we had a clear objective. It just did not go in the direction we wanted today.

How important was it to get into the game quickly? Obviously, Morgan scored shortly after the start. Was that always part of your plan? Did you hope the team would start at full intensity?

No, what we wanted was to compete. We knew there would be different phases in the match. After taking the lead, we had to defend well for the next 15 to 20 minutes, and that period was very difficult. But afterwards we found our rhythm again in the first half, created some good chances, and kept fighting until the end.

Obviously, the team was missing some players today. After experiencing a match like this, what can the team learn from it?

That's right, this is the highest level of competition, and details are very important. You need to control the match and make almost no mistakes in order to take points away from here. We actually did many things well today, but there are still some details we need to try to improve and learn from.

I mentioned Morgan earlier. Over these first few weeks of the season, how satisfied have you been with what he has contributed on and off the pitch?

So far, his adaptation has been excellent. He has made a big impact on both the club and the team. He gets along very well with his teammates, and it looks as though he has already been at the club for four years.

I also wanted to ask you about your captain today. What can a fully fit Reece James bring to this team?

He is the core of the team. He is our captain and the leader of the team. He can inspire others. Today he played a very complete match, communicated very well on the pitch, and continued to push and motivate his teammates. We are very happy to see Reece James maintaining this form.

The schedule ahead is very busy, with two home matches coming in the next six days. The next match arrives quickly. Is that also a positive thing, as it can help the team bounce back quickly?

Yes, the key is to think about the next match and not allow yourself to stay immersed in this game for too long. Tomorrow is a new day, and from Tuesday we will start preparing for the next match.