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Just last season, Marcos Alonso was one of our new signings during the summer transfer window. His arrival wasn’t greeted with the typical level of excitement a new player would get from the Bridge faithful, and that wasn’t entirely surprising; he wasn’t known to many Chelsea fans. No fan wants an ‘unknown’, because you aren’t sure of what to expect.

Alonso struggled at first but he later became a key player as the season progressed. He may not have been the type of player we expected, but he more than justified his price.

Marco Alonso has improved greatly in his game, and it’s exciting. Not only is he a better defender than last season, he’s also looking more dangerous going forward. His crosses are an inch perfect, and he has a clearer eye for goal. This season, he has managed to salvage matches for us, and his shots per game ratio is on the rise too.

On Saturday, he had an impressive 6 shots on target against Southampton, and got the winning goal for us. It’s safe to say he out- performed every other player on the pitch on that day.

He’s almost 27, meaning he has his best years ahead of him. And as long as he continues to improve on himself, he can only get better.