Did Chelsea benefit most from extended international break?

The extended international break may have been more beneficial to Chelsea than any other team in the Premier League, according to senior club officials. Chelsea's recent 5-1 victory over Bournemouth supports this theory, with new manager Xabi Alonso making several adjustments to the team's approach after the break. After conceding a league-high 12 goals before the break, Chelsea defended deeper and altered their build-up play, resulting in a more solid look.

Key players such as Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo, and Marco Pellegrino returned from injury, and Joao Pedro specifically mentioned the long international break allowing time to fix mistakes made against Brentford. Manager Alonso also spent considerable time on office work, including tactical analysis and preparation for future opponents.

Despite a recorded injury to winger Jamie Gittens, Chelsea fared better than many of their rivals, who had more players away on international duty.