Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is under increased pressure after spending over £200 million on new players this summer.

A flurry of high-profile players have arrived at Stamford Bridge in recent months including Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell, prompting speculation over whether the Blues might be outsiders for the 2020-21 Premier League title.

But after their opening three fixtures, Lampard’s side have only taken four points and currently find themselves eighth in the table at the time of writing.

The west London outfit recorded a 3-1 win away at Brighton in their opening game before losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool.

Chelsea were then expected to bounce back with a victory away at West Brom on Saturday but found themselves 3-0 down after 27 minutes following some calamitous defending.

Lampard’s side fought back to seal a point thanks to Tammy Abraham’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser, but Chelsea’s manager ripped one of his players to shreds inside the away dressing room at the Hawthorns after the match.

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According to The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and David Ornstein, Marcos Alonso - booked in the eighth minute and subbed off at half-time for Cesar Azpilicueta - was subjected to a furious dressing down by Lampard in front of ‘stunned teammates’.

Lampard was livid after discovering that Alonso headed to the team bus without permission after being taken off at half-time, rather than watching the second half from the bench.

Mateo Kovacic was also subbed off at the interval but, unlike Alonso, took his place in the stands after taking a shower.

Chelsea staff were reportedly surprised to see the Spanish left-back in a different area to where the away group were expected to be - especially due to the strict rules regarding Covid-19 protocols - before Lampard gave him both barrels after the match.

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The Athletic say Lampard criticised Alonso in front of the rest of the squad.

Insiders have described the Chelsea legend as being ‘the angriest they’ve ever seen him’.

Meanwhile, one source has told The Athletic that Lampard was so furious with Alonso they would “be surprised if he plays for Chelsea ever again.”

Lampard also criticised the 29-year-old to reporters when asked about Chelsea’s poor defending during the opening 45 minutes.

“The first one Marcos heads it into the middle of the pitch for them for a transition,” he said.

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“Marcos loses his man for the third goal from the corner, a clear mistake. You can do as many meetings as you want, if you are going to make those mistakes you give yourself a mountain to climb.”

Following these latest developments, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Alonso dropped completely for the upcoming games against Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

With just over a week remaining before the transfer window closes, perhaps Lampard is even considering offloading Alonso.