Why 36-year-old Jordan Henderson works in Xabi Alonso’s new-age Chelsea

At 36, Jordan Henderson has not landed at Stamford Bridge to be a mere decorative figure. The former Liverpool captain, signed last summer with a profile that pointed more to dressing-room leadership than to the starting eleven, has taken over the midfield. Xabi Alonso has handed him the keys in the Premier League and the Englishman has responded with performance, mileage and an unexpected partnership with Moises Caicedo that, for now, nobody disputes.

• Jordan Henderson, 36, is an undisputed starter in Xabi Alonso's Chelsea.
• He has played the full 90 minutes of the last three Premier League matches.
• He forms an unexpected partnership with Moises Caicedo in midfield.
• He has covered more ground than any other player in the last two games.
• Chelsea have reduced fouls, yellow cards and red cards since his arrival.

From dressing-room signing to untouchable in Chelsea's lineup

When Henderson signed for Chelsea in early August, few expected him to become a regular in the Premier League. He arrived alongside Danny Welbeck, another veteran, and the general reading pointed to an attempt to balance a squad full of youth and a certain tendency towards chaos. Welbeck, apart from one game against Brentford, has barely played in the Carabao Cup. Henderson, on the other hand, has settled at the top of the midfield pecking order.

Ahead of younger players like Romeo Lavia or Valentín Barco, the English international has started and completed the last three league matches. Heading into Saturday's derby against Tottenham, Alonso has no arguments to bench him. His form has turned what looked like a supporting role into a structural piece of the team.

The Henderson-Caicedo partnership holding the midfield together

Chelsea's midfield is working. And it is working, in large part, because Henderson has found natural chemistry with Moises Caicedo, the player without whom Alonso's team cannot be understood. Together they form a double pivot that mixes experience, running and game reading. Far from being the weak link due to his age, the Englishman has brought a hierarchy that complements the Ecuadorian's energy.

He's 36, but he's in a very good shape physically. He has a lot of energy, but that hasn't changed. I see he's 36, but you tell me he's 28 when he was playing in Liverpool, pressing, following the press, wanting the ball and having this impact on the rest of the team. It hasn't changed that much.

Alonso does not dwell on age. For him, Henderson's decline since his glory years at Anfield, where he lifted the Premier League and the Champions League, is minimal. His spell at Brentford confirmed that the performance level was still intact and that he could fit into Chelsea. Today he feels important and, on the pitch, it shows.

The tireless 36-year-old engine covering the most ground for Chelsea

Henderson's reputation as a footballer of enormous physical output is no myth. In Chelsea's last two matches he has been the player who has covered the most ground, with 11.9 kilometres against Bournemouth and 12 against Everton, while also being the oldest player on the pitch in both games.

But his contribution is not limited to off-the-ball effort. Against Bournemouth he scored an excellent brace, including the first direct free-kick goal of his career, and provided an assist. An attacking output that Alonso appreciates, even if it is not what keeps him in the team.

He's playing well, not for the goals he has, but for the impact that he's having in the team.

Chelsea's discipline shift: from 8 red cards to a team with emotional control

When Alonso arrived on the bench, he found a team with a terrible disciplinary record. Last season, Chelsea accumulated eight red cards, four more than any other Premier League side, and were second for yellow cards with 90. An unsustainable figure for a project aspiring to compete for everything.

This season, the picture has changed. The team commits fewer fouls per 90 minutes, receives fewer yellow cards and has yet to suffer a single sending-off. Henderson's presence is considered a major factor in that shift. His experience and composure in heated moments help the group take a step back, breathe and stay focused.

That calm will be tested on Saturday in the London derby against Tottenham. It will be Alonso's first home derby after visiting hostile territory at Fulham and Arsenal. The coach expects an electric atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, a perfect stage to check whether Chelsea's new discipline is solid or cracks when the match heats up.

Mike Penders: the 21-year-old goalkeeper who reminds Courtois of himself

Chelsea face the derby with a significant absence in goal. Emi Martinez suffered a serious head injury against Everton and will be sidelined for several weeks after undergoing surgery. His absence opens the door for Mike Penders, a 21-year-old Belgian goalkeeper who is set for an extended run as a starter.

Alonso trusts his maturity. And it is not an empty compliment: the coach spoke with Thibaut Courtois during the World Cup precisely to get his assessment of Penders. Courtois, who also made his Stamford Bridge debut aged 21, albeit while on loan at Atlético Madrid, told him he saw similarities between the two. Top-level backing for the young keeper.