Did Chelsea benefit most from extended international break?

The extended three-week break may have benefited Chelsea more than any other team in the Premier League. The extended three-week international break may have benefited Chelsea more than any other team in the Premier League. Although it is a small sample size, Saturday's 5-1 victory over Bournemouth appeared to support that theory, with senior club officials speaking before kick-off about how the break had come at the right time for the Blues. Before the pause, it was clear new manager Xabi Alonso was searching for answers within his system, having moved to a back three. Chelsea conceded a league-high 12 goals before the break but at times had been able to outscore opponents through the brilliance of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.

A 3-0 defeat at Brentford before the break underlined the need for adjustments, and Alonso made several against Bournemouth. Chelsea defended deeper, pressed in a different shape, and altered their build-up play to give Alonso's side a more solid look. After the match, Joao Pedro, who scored twice, said: "The international break was a long time. We had time to work, to fix the mistakes against Brentford, and we got a great result." The return of key midfielder Moises Caicedo was a major factor. Ecuadorian Caicedo had played only 14 minutes as a substitute before Saturday