Austin MacPhee is set to join Chelsea after ending his five-year spell as Aston Villa’s specialist set-piece coach.
The Scot will provide Xabi Alonso with greater variety from dead balls, detailed opposition planning and another experienced voice within his rebuilt coaching staff.
John Townley first reported that MacPhee had said goodbye to Villa’s players and staff before completing his move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have yet to formally announce the appointment, but MacPhee is expected to take an active role on the training pitch. ReadChelsea covered the agreement following his Villa departure.
His arrival is significant because Villa held his work in extremely high regard. MacPhee remained at the club under Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery, adapting his routines to different systems and changing groups of players.
Austin MacPhee at Chelsea can add greater variety
MacPhee’s work is not limited to placing Chelsea’s tallest players around the six-yard box. His routines are designed to manipulate opponents through movement, disguised delivery and carefully planned blocks.
Villa scored a reported 29 set-piece goals across all competitions last season, placing them among Europe’s leading clubs in that area. MacPhee also designed the corner which allowed Morgan Rogers to score against Liverpool, offering an early example of how an existing relationship could benefit Chelsea. TalkSPORT detailed MacPhee’s record and his reunion with Rogers.
Chelsea possess several players capable of attacking deliveries aggressively. Tosin Adarabioyo provides height, while Levi Colwill and Maxence Lacroix can make powerful runs from deeper starting positions.
Liam Delap also gives Chelsea a physical presence around the goalkeeper. MacPhee can build different routines around those options rather than relying on one predictable delivery towards the near post.
Delivery should not be a problem either. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández can attack the penalty area from different angles, while Reece James offers power from wider free-kicks when available.
A layered set-piece structure for Alonso
MacPhee will join a coaching department already containing specialist knowledge.
Bernardo Cueva has moved into a more analytical and advisory role away from Chelsea’s daily match preparation. Sebastian Parrilla, who worked with Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid, also has experience developing attacking and defensive restarts.
ReadChelsea previously examined how Alonso had reshaped Cueva’s Chelsea responsibilities. MacPhee’s appointment suggests the club want to expand their set-piece operation rather than replace one specialist with another.
Cueva can support the process through data and opposition analysis. MacPhee can then translate those findings into routines on the training pitch, with Parrilla ensuring they fit Alonso’s wider tactical structure.
That division should help Chelsea prepare specific plans for different opponents. A team defending with a zonal system requires a different routine from one using tight man-marking.
Chelsea could gain points in difficult matches
Alonso wants Chelsea to control matches through possession, but even dominant teams encounter opponents who defend deep and restrict space.
Set pieces offer another route to goal when open-play combinations fail. They can also decide tight away fixtures where Chelsea may create fewer clear opportunities.
MacPhee’s defensive work will carry equal importance. Chelsea must organise their first contact, protect the goalkeeper and retain enough pace outside the area to manage counter-attacks.
Austin MacPhee at Chelsea therefore provides more than a collection of inventive corners. His experience should give Alonso another method of turning small tactical details into goals during a demanding Premier League campaign.
