Did Chelsea benefit most from extended international break?

Although it is a small sample size, Saturday's 5-1 victory over Bournemouth appeared to support that theory, with senior club officials speaking before kick-off about how the break had come at the right time for the Blues. Before the pause, it was clear new manager Xabi Alonso was searching for answers within his system, having moved to a back three. Chelsea conceded a league-high 12 goals before the break but at times had been able to outscore opponents through the brilliance of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.