Xabi Alonso showered Romeo Lavia with praise after playing a key role in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over 10-man Manchester United on Saturday. The Blues recovered from a poor start at Stamford Bridge to beat the Red Devils with goals from morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. Palmer converted from the spot after Lisandro Martinez was sent off for elbowing Wesley Fofana in the box. Lavia not only set up Rogers’ opener, but also won possession 14 times, which is the most by a Chelsea player in a Premier League game in three years.Alonso lauds ‘top, top performance’ from Chelsea star Lavia against Man Utd“From a midfielder point of view, for me it has been a top, top performance,” Alonso said in his post-match press conference. “He’s done so many things right, he’s been always connecting the defence with the attacking players, he’s been able to switch the game, he’s taken many right decisions, he’s been very dynamic, competitive. “So I think that not just this game, for the last two or three weeks he’s been playing at a very good level and I’m very happy for him and today he deserves a huge recognition for his performance.”Lavia has endured an injury-ravaged time at Chelsea, but Alonso believes he is as physically strong as he is mentally. Lavia has been troubled by injuries during his time at Chelsea but Alonso feels he’s feeling stronger mentally as well as physically.“He’s feeling better, he’s feeling stronger, he’s feeling more confident to go with more minutes, with more load. “Sometimes the head is more important than the legs and now his head is in a good place.”The result sees Chelsea move up to fourth in the Premier League table, while United are hovering just above the relegation zone. Ballon d’Or 2026 – Every winner from this year’s ceremonySee Also – Five of the best Premier League away kits in 2026/27Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTokThe post Alonso lauds ‘top, top performance’ from Chelsea star against Man Utd appeared first on The Football Faithful.