The Belgian produced another excellent display at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, helping the Blues return to winning ways in the Premier League with a commanding second-half performance.

And Alonso was full of praise for the 22-year-old, who has continued to grow in influence after overcoming the injury problems which have disrupted his Chelsea career.

‘It was a top performance. In the last three weeks, I’ve seen a Romeo in top form. He is feeling good and feeling confident,’ said Alonso.

‘His game, from a midfielder's point of view, was very complete. He has done so many good things and I’m happy for him. He deserves huge recognition.’

Lavia played an important role in our opening goal against United, winning back possession in midfield before feeding Morgan Rogers, who surged forward and chipped a cute finish over Senne Lammens.

It was one of several impressive contributions from the Belgian, whose composure in possession and ability to link defence with attack caught the eye of our head coach.

‘He has done so many things right. He was always connecting the defence with the attacking players, he was able to switch the game, he has taken many right decisions, was very dynamic and competitive.

‘So I think, not just this game but in the last two or three weeks, he has been playing at a very good level and I’m very happy for him.’

Equally encouraging for Alonso was Lavia's ability to complete another 90 minutes, having also played the entirety of Wednesday's Carabao Cup encounter with Liverpool at Anfield.

With Jordan Henderson unavailable through illness, the Belgian retained his place alongside Moises Caicedo and showed no signs of fatigue as the Blues took control after the interval.

Alonso believes Lavia's increasing confidence has been crucial to his ability to handle the demands of consecutive matches.

‘We knew Jordan was not feeling that well and we know Rom is feeling better, is feeling stronger, is feeling more confident to go with more minutes and with more load.

‘And he’s gone from playing the whole game at Anfield, to not even 72 hours later playing that way and with that energy [against Man United]. Sometimes the head is more important than the legs and now his head is in a good place.’

It is another positive step for Lavia, whose performances are giving Alonso plenty of encouragement as the Blues look to build on Saturday's victory.