Henderson praised after ‘complete performance’ in Chelsea victory
Xabi Alonso praised Jordan Henderson after the veteran midfielder scored twice in Chelsea’s 5-1 thrashing of Bournemouth.
Joao Pedro also scored twice, taking his tally for the season to five, as Alonso’s side ran out comfortable winners at Stamford Bridge.
Henderson is not known for his goalscoring, but he netted with a thumping strike early on and later made it 5-1 with a superb free-kick.
Blues boss Alonso declared: “If he’s able to score two beauties like today, we are more than happy for him. Today was a very complete performance.”
Henderson lined up in midfield alongside the fit-again Moises Caicedo, who returned to the side for his first outing since August.
“In terms of positioning, they help each other well,” said Alonso.
“They give presence, they give stability as well. They are going to be the ones that are helping the rest.
“As well, defensively, they give good balance. It’s fundamental we get that area strong.”
It continued a trend of early goals since Alonso took over during the summer.
The Spaniard said: “We always speak about how we try to start the game well and give good energy, but I have no explanation – no credit to me. Let’s see if we can keep doing that.
“We were in control for most of the game, so I’m happy with that. I’m happy with the game and the performance.”
