Emi Martinez’s Gesture To Chelsea Coach As Extra Training Pays Off for New Signing

According to a report by Football London on Monday, October 12, 2026, Chelsea’s set-piece coach Austin MacPhee received special recognition from Emiliano Martinez following the Blues’ emphatic 5-1 victory over Bournemouth, as the club’s training-ground preparations paid off at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s work on set pieces and attacking movements during the international break played an important role in their impressive Premier League performance.

Jordan Henderson scored twice, including a cleverly executed free-kick that caught Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic by surprise.

With Chelsea leading 4-1 and around 20 minutes remaining, Henderson stood over a free-kick alongside Cole Palmer. Bournemouth appeared to expect Palmer to take responsibility, but Henderson stepped forward and struck the ball into the net with his right foot.

The goal marked Henderson’s second of the afternoon and his first two goals for Chelsea since joining the club on a free transfer during the summer.

After celebrating with his teammates, Henderson approached MacPhee on the touchline and shook the coach’s hand. Martinez also ran towards the Scottish coach to celebrate, highlighting the importance of the preparation behind the goal.

Footage later emerged showing Henderson and Palmer practising free-kicks during a recent training session. The routine closely resembled the one that produced Henderson’s goal against Bournemouth.

Chelsea’s preparations also extended to open-play situations, with the coaching staff identifying opportunities to exploit Bournemouth’s right flank.

During the pre-match warm-up, Chelsea practised attacking moves involving Pep Chavarria advancing down the left before delivering an early cross into the penalty area.

The approach paid off when Chavarria supplied a low cross for Joao Pedro to score his second goal of the afternoon. The Brazilian also benefited from Pedro Neto’s work on the right flank after the interval, continuing his impressive start to the campaign.

Joao Pedro has now scored five goals and provided three assists in five Premier League appearances this season, underlining his importance to Chelsea’s attack.

The victory also extended Chelsea’s remarkable run of early goals. Henderson opened the scoring after just 66 seconds, while Morgan Rogers doubled the advantage after 149 seconds.

Chelsea have now scored first within the opening 10 minutes in five of their six Premier League matches this season.

Manager Xabi Alonso admitted he could not fully explain the trend, despite the team’s emphasis on starting matches with energy.

“I have nothing to do [with it], so I don’t have the answer,” Alonso said. “We always speak about how we try to start the game with good energy, but I have no explanation, no credit to me.”

He added: “It has never happened to me in such a short period to score that many early goals. So, let’s see if we can keep doing that.”