Who needs Alex Sandro or Danny Rose when Chelsea have Marcos Alonso?

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Simon Johnson21 August 2017

Before Marcos Alonso made his way through the Wembley exit, Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta made a point of bowing down in front of a number of observers to pay homage to his team-mate's left foot.

It was a light-hearted scene that not only reflected the revived morale flooding through the Chelsea camp following their 2-1 win over Tottenham, but the level of esteem Alonso is held in at the club.

Clearly scoring two goals against a London rival will make any player a popular figure within the ranks, yet this wasn't the first time Alonso has proved his value.

No defender has scored more times in the top flight than the 26-year-old since he joined from Fiorentina for £23million one year ago.

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In 33 Premier League appearances, Alonso has found the net on eight occasions and all of those strikes have come in Chelsea victories.

It would be fair to say that Alonso has exceeded expectations over the past 12 months.

He arrived from Serie A on deadline day last August with little fanfare. David Luiz stole all the limelight having rejoined from Paris Saint-Germain.

There was a suspicion that Chelsea had overpaid for a left wing-back, whose previous clubs included Bolton and Sunderland.

Alonso may have been a popular figure there, but playing under intense scrutiny at Stamford Bridge is a much sterner test of one's quality and strength of character.

There is no doubt though that he has passed the challenge on both counts.

The Spaniard, who progressed through Real Madrid's Academy, can arguably now claim to be the best free-kick taker at the club.

Yesterday's sweet effort that curled into the top corner was unstoppable. He scored with a similar set piece at Bournemouth in April and has struck the woodwork on a few other occasions too.

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Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was at fault for the second, but after nearly 90 minutes of exhausting work and concentration, Alonso looked fresher than anyone as he surged into the area to fire the ball home.

The timing of the run couldn't have been better - the same could be said for his contribution overall.

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Chelsea are continuing to pursue other more highly rated left-backs to take Alonso's place in the first XI.

They still haven't given up on buying Juventus star Alex Sandro, while Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand are also on the wish-list.

It is understandable why the club want to strengthen in the area. With the Champions League this season, they will have a lot more games and Alonso can't be expected to play in every single one.

There are still question marks over his pace and defending in one-on-one situations too, but no-one can dispute his resolve.

Instead of being downhearted about Chelsea's plans in the transfer market, he is just continuing to prove his worth.

When asked last month about the potential threat to his place from a new arrival, he said: "This is Chelsea.

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"We play in four competitions this year, so many games, and competition can only be good for me and for the team. That’s it.

"I will just keep training, keep improving, keep doing well for the team and keep fighting."

Alonso has stood by his word - just ask Tottenham.

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