Alonso Sees Best of Lavia in Chelsea Victory

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says Romeo Lavia has put injury issues behind him and is now showing his strongest form. The 22-year-old midfielder, who joined from Southampton in 2023, had not finished a full competitive match until completing 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Liverpool last week.

Back-to-back full appearances

Lavia repeated the feat four days later in the 2-0 win over Manchester United. Alonso noted the quick turnaround, pointing out that the player moved from a full match at Anfield to another demanding display just 72 hours afterward. He described Lavia as feeling stronger and more confident with added minutes and workload.

Complete midfield display

Over the past three weeks Alonso has watched Lavia perform at a high level. In the latest outing the midfielder connected defense with attack, switched play effectively, made sound decisions and showed dynamic energy throughout. Alonso called the effort a top performance and said Lavia deserves recognition for his contributions in that match and recent games.