Chelsea’s recent 3-0 defeat at Brentford has once again highlighted the deep‑seated defensive problems that have plagued the club this season. As Xabi Alonso lamented after the loss, "You need to feel it. We're not feeling it," a sentiment that perfectly captures the frustration of a side that appears to have lost its competitive edge. This was Chelsea’s eleventh defeat of the calendar year – a tally that already exceeds the total number of losses the Blues suffered throughout the entire 2025 campaign, and there are still three months of football left.
The pattern is clear: for the fifth consecutive Premier League match under Alonso, the team has surrendered at least two goals, and set‑piece vulnerabilities continue to haunt them. Alonso’s post‑match comments focused on the team’s lack of consistency and the missing competitive mentality in the second half, a shortcoming that will undoubtedly worry supporters the most. Brentford took advantage of the dip in intensity and ran away with the game after the break.
Moreover, Chelsea’s inability to win battles across the pitch has become a recurring theme. Last season they were frequently outrun, and this season the same story is repeating itself, albeit in a more pronounced fashion.
One of the most glaring issues in the Brentford game was the handling of set pieces. From long throws to well‑executed corners, Brentford capitalised on every opportunity, mirroring the mistake Chelsea made against Hull in their previous fixture. The Blues conceded yet another goal from a dead‑ball situation – the fourth such concession in five league games – pushing their total since the start of last season to 23, which ties them for the worst record among all Premier League clubs.
The decisive goal came when a cross was lofted directly onto the back post, landing squarely on Emiliano Martínez. Neither the goalkeeper nor the surrounding defenders managed to react in time, and Brentford’s players were already anticipating the delivery. As Vitaly Janelt explained to Sky Sports, "We targeted the back post at half‑time. There was a big gap at the far post, and we hit that with our first corner of the second half." Despite the presence of Austin MacPhee, who is widely regarded as the league’s most proficient dead‑ball coach, Chelsea’s set‑piece execution remains porous.
Bernardo Cueva, the former set‑piece specialist now serving in a different capacity, was even poached by Brentford during the match, underscoring the club’s struggle to retain expertise in this area. Levi Colwill echoed the sentiment of a team that feels bullied and outmatched, stating, "We have not been good enough, at times we have been bullied and we need to improve at that. But we trust in our set‑piece coach; we are still adjusting to new things, but we do need to improve as a team." However, the defensive frailties extend far beyond dead‑ball situations. Chelsea have now gone 22 straight Premier League fixtures without keeping a clean sheet, a streak that places them among the league’s most leaky defenses.
Statistically, the Blues concede an average of 2.2 non‑penalty goals per game, a figure that aligns closely with their expected goals (xG) against – meaning the quality and quantity of shots they allow are precisely what the data predicts. Their inability to protect the penalty area is equally alarming; they rank in the top three for shots conceded inside their own box, averaging around ten per match. This relentless pressure forces the goalkeeper into a constant barrage, effectively turning him into a human battering ram. These defensive shortcomings explain why Chelsea have struggled to preserve leads in their last three league outings.
In the Brentford match, they failed to score within the opening ten minutes – a first for the club this season – although Pedro Neto came close with a chance that was saved. When the team does fall behind, they often crumble, allowing the opposition to dictate the tempo and forcing Chelsea to chase the game.
Alonso summed it up succinctly: "We concede the first goal, you're still in the game but then we lose the shape. We were out of control." Looking ahead, the return of Moisés Caicedo could provide a much‑needed boost to the midfield’s defensive solidity, but the team’s current lack of cohesion without him remains a concern. New signings Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco started the Brentford game, yet the Bees appeared stronger in the middle of the park.
Brentford manager Keith Andrews arguably boasts deeper midfield options, and his side secured a 3‑0 victory even with record signing Mamadou Sangaré sitting on the bench for most of the match. From an attacking perspective, João Pedro currently stands out as Chelsea’s most influential goal‑scorer, but the forward line was dismantled for the first time this season, resulting in a goalless night for the Blues. It is worth noting that this squad features seven summer arrivals in the starting eleven, and Alonso is only the fourth manager to lead the club in nine months.
As former captain Gary Cahill told Sky Sports, "It doesn't happen overnight. I think with what you're saying he will be judged in the next five, six, seven weeks to get this right because you will have that time on the training ground and then we should start to see his methods coming through because we've seen him in an attacking sense." Alonso himself admitted that the issues are not limited to set pieces: "In defensive duels, build‑up and controlling games, we have a lot to improve." Those four areas – set pieces, defensive duels, build‑up play, and game control – encapsulate the core of Chelsea’s current predicament.
As the international break approaches, Levi Colwill reiterated the need for extensive work, a sentiment that will likely be echoed throughout the squad as they aim to rectify a season that has so far been defined by defensive instability and missed opportunities.