Alonso focused on Everton test after Brentford lesson

Xabi Alonso has warned Chelsea must be ready for a "high-demand" game when they visit Everton on Saturday, with the Brentford defeat still fresh in the squad's memory.

Chelsea head to Merseyside on the back of a 5-1 win over Bournemouth, their first league outing after a prolonged international break. That result helped ease the sting of a 3-0 loss at Brentford, in which the Blues conceded three second-half goals.

"It's going to be tough at Everton, but we are looking forward to the intensity of the game, a high-demand game, high tempo," Alonso said. "I want us to deal with that by playing, but by competing as well. For sure, the experience at Brentford is not forgotten."

Alonso also pointed to the atmosphere at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as an added challenge. "I haven't been in the stadium, but they've told me it's a nice one with good atmosphere, so we are looking forward to it," he added.

The Chelsea head coach used the Bournemouth match to trial a 4-4-2 defensive shape and signalled he will keep adjusting his system to suit each opponent. "We want to be flexible, but we also want to be solid whenever we are pressing high, or a little bit lower," he said. "It can be in a 4-4-2, it can be in a 5-2-3, but the distances, how you help and how you have a good balance — this is what you need to defend."

Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League with 13 points from seven games, having scored 17 goals this season. Alonso stressed that maintaining attacking output while tightening defensively will be key to picking up points in difficult away fixtures.