Xabi Alonso Offers Update On Chelsea's Penalty Takers For 2026-27 Season | OneFootball

Previewing Chelsea's 2026-27 campaign. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

Xabi Alonso refused to name Chelsea’s designated penalty takers for the 2026/27 season, but claimed it may not necessarily be the same ones as in previous terms.

In the Premier League last season, only Brentford were awarded more penalties (10) than Chelsea (8) throughout the campaign.

Being one of the teams with the most touches in the opposition box (1,005 - sixth most) likely helped, too.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Alonso has already appointed his spot-kickers ahead of the season, although he did not feel it was time to reveal them yet.

“I don’t know which (players) were last season, but we have our own decisions,” the Spaniard confirmed in his latest press conference about Chelsea’s designated penalty takers.

Asked whether he wanted to reveal it, he jokingly responded: “Nope. Too early. Hopefully we’ll have a penalty (against Fulham on Monday), and you’ll see.”

Cole Palmer has, of course, been Chelsea’s primary penalty taker since joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.

He has only missed twice and converted 18 across all competitions in the last three seasons. The creative midfielder missed just once last season, in the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in May, and scored five.

When Palmer is not on the pitch, Enzo Fernandez is usually the one who goes to the penalty. The Argentina international had a 100 per cent record last season, scoring five of five penalties in all competitions.

Estevao Willian and Alejandro Garnacho are the two other players in the squad who took penalties last term, one apiece.

Considering the high success rate, there are very few reasons for Alonso to take either Palmer or Fernandez off penalty duty.

When fit, both are expected to be on the pitch.

There is an argument, however, that Chelsea may want to include Joao Pedro on this list. He is the primary number nine, and a few penalty goals could help him compete for the Golden Boot.

Manchester City ace Erling Haaland won the Golden Boot last season with 27 goals, three of which were from penalties. Brentford’s Igor Thiago, who finished second in the league goalscoring charts with 22 goals, scored eight penalties.

Joao Pedro racked up 15 Premier League goals last season, so he would likely not have beaten Haaland even if he had scored some penalties. Still, he should have easily finished higher than joint fifth.

The Brazil international already had the experience for this role, too.

In the two seasons he spent at Brighton, Joao Pedro converted 15 of 16 spot-kicks he took in all competitions. The only one he missed, against Aston Villa in  May 2024, still ended up in the net anyway, as he scored off the rebound to win the game.

He has yet to take a penalty for Chelsea, but given his scoring form, he should have no trouble with penalty responsibility.