How Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer Could Form Chelsea's New Attacking Core Under Xabi Alonso

Morgan Rogers did not hide his excitement after completing a £117 million transfer from Aston Villa to Chelsea. The attacking midfielder was quick to highlight his longstanding friendship with Cole Palmer, revealing that the two had discussed the prospect of lining up together for years.

"We've been speaking about this for a while — that we would always love to play together," Rogers said. "He's been non-stop ringing my phone, texting me, and I can't wait. That's probably the most special thing, playing with one of your best friends and being around him every day."

The enthusiasm is mutual, but the tactical question is obvious: can new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso find a setup that accommodates two players with similar profiles? A closer look at Rogers' skillset and Alonso's preferred approach suggests there is a viable path.

Rogers' Versatility and Strengths

Defining Rogers by a single position is not straightforward. His ideal role depends on the players around him and the shape of the opposition, and his value lies in the breadth of what he can offer across the front line.

At Aston Villa, manager Unai Emery handed Rogers a prominent role in the team's recent successes — a factor that contributed to his substantial transfer fee. Emery's system was built on defensive solidity, frequently operating in a 4-4-2 shape out of possession. Villa often endured long stretches without the ball before launching rapid attacks into expansive space.

That style suited Rogers, who pairs reliable ball-striking with notable athleticism. Last season, he generally featured on the left of a 4-2-3-1, cutting inside from the wing while the left-back provided width. From that position, he frequently aimed curled efforts toward the far post with his stronger right foot, though he was equally capable of dragging shots inside the near post.

Defensively, Rogers typically operated as a left midfielder in Emery's 4-4-2, but he is also comfortable pressing in a front two alongside a conventional number nine. His positional flexibility allows him to function as a narrow winger on either flank before making runs similar to those of a centre-forward. He consistently brings pace and directness to his team's attacking play, both with and without the ball.

Fitting Into Alonso's Vision at Chelsea

Alonso's overarching philosophy centres on dominating possession and constructing attacks inside the opponent's half for extended periods. That differs from the counter-attacking approach that brought the best out of Rogers at Villa, which could initially seem like a mismatch.

However, the broader tactical landscape last season saw a rise in man-to-man pressing high up the pitch, making it increasingly difficult for teams to play out from the back. In response, the strongest sides in the league prioritised players capable of holding the ball up, carrying it over significant distances, and beating their marker in one-on-one situations.

When opponents match up man-for-man, the game effectively becomes a sequence of individual duels, making physically strong players who can beat their defender especially valuable. All of those descriptions align with Rogers' attributes.

Under intense pressure, teams have increasingly opted to play longer passes into forwards, bypassing the build-up phase entirely. Rogers is well equipped to receive those direct balls. Although Alonso is associated with a short-passing game, he has demonstrated the flexibility to adapt. After his Bayer Leverkusen side lost the 2024 Europa League final to Atalanta — a team known for aggressive man-marking across the pitch — Alonso offered a candid assessment: "We probably tried to play too many passes in the first phase, when we should have tried to attract the first player and then go long a bit more."

Rogers, then, gives Alonso a practical solution to the challenges posed by man-to-man pressing.

How Rogers and Palmer Can Coexist

Understanding Alonso's attacking structure helps clarify how Rogers and Palmer might thrive together. Regardless of whether Chelsea line up with a back four or a back five, Alonso's team tends to settle into a 3-2-2-3 or 3-2-5 shape in possession.

Many of Rogers' most effective moments at Villa came in the inside-left channel, and Alonso is likely to position him there when Chelsea have the ball. Width on the left would then need to come from another source — either a wing-back in a back-five system or a winger if Chelsea operate with a back four. In the latter scenario, Rogers would start from a more central position.

Palmer, similarly, excels in-field but on the right half of the pitch. In possession, both players could be stationed alongside each other in the middle, operating behind a striker such as Joao Pedro in a 3-2-2-3.

Rogers is adept at exploiting large spaces, but his combination play, central passing, and ball-striking from the edge of the penalty area also make him effective in tighter areas. When surrounded by players on a similar wavelength — Palmer being a prime example — it becomes a potent method for breaking down structured defences.

A central element of Alonso's game model is prioritising short passes to ensure players are well positioned to counter-press if possession is lost. Rogers' combination play and physicality make him a strong fit for that approach, and his capacity to repeatedly make runs in behind is something Palmer can look to exploit.

A Flexible Solution for Alonso

In Alonso's preferred 3-2-2-3 in possession, Rogers occupying the left number 10 role and Palmer the right number 10 role appears the most promising configuration. To place them in those zones during attacks, Alonso could start with them in those positions ahead of a back five, using wing-backs on either side — the formation he relied on during his successful tenure at Leverkusen.

Alternatively, when starting from a 4-2-3-1, one of the two could begin as a number 10 while the other inverts centrally from the wing, with a full-back advancing on that flank. Width on the opposite side would then be maintained by a conventional winger.

Whether leaning into the chemistry built between the duo — who won the FA Youth Cup together at Manchester City in 2020 — will translate into results at senior level remains to be seen. What is clear is that Rogers is a versatile, Premier League-proven player whose skillset aligns with many of the tactical requirements Alonso will demand at Chelsea.

As the new season approaches, all eyes will be on how quickly Alonso can mould this talented squad into a cohesive unit. If Rogers and Palmer can replicate their off-pitch chemistry on it, Chelsea may have stumbled upon one of the most exciting partnerships in the league. What do you think — can Alonso make it work? Share this article and join the conversation.

Source: BBC Sport