Xabi Alonso’s post‑match comments after Chelsea’s 3‑0 defeat to Brentford summed up the mood in the dressing room: “You need to feel it. We’re not feeling it.” The Blues are once again trapped in a familiar sense of frustration.
This loss marked their eleventh defeat of the calendar year – already more than they recorded in the entire 2025 season, and there are still three months left to play. For the fifth consecutive Premier League match under Alonso, Chelsea have allowed at least two goals, and their set‑piece vulnerabilities have resurfaced with alarming regularity. Alonso lamented the drop in consistency and the lack of a competitive mindset in the second half, a point that will sting the most for supporters. Brentford seized the initiative after the break with little resistance, exposing the gap between the two sides.
The pattern is clear: Chelsea are being out‑battled across the park, a problem that echoed throughout last season when they were outrun in the majority of their league fixtures. The first thing that springs to mind when you face Brentford is their proficiency with dead‑ball situations – long throws, clever corners and a well‑drilled delivery system.
In this match, Chelsea surrendered yet another set‑piece goal, mirroring the mistake they made against Hull in the previous game. This was the fourth goal they have conceded from a set‑piece in just five Premier League outings, taking their total since the start of last season to 23 – the joint‑worst figure among all clubs in the division. The decisive moment came when a cross was floated directly onto the back post where Emiliano Martínez was positioned.
Neither the goalkeeper nor the surrounding defenders reacted in time, and Brentford’s players anticipated the delivery a mile away. Vitaly Janelt later explained to Sky Sports that the Blues had deliberately targeted the far post at half‑time, noting a “big gap” there that they tried to exploit with their first corner of the second half. Even with Austin MacPhee now serving as the Premier League’s most respected dead‑ball coach, Chelsea’s set‑piece frailties persist. Bernardo Cueva, the club’s former set‑piece specialist who now holds a different role, was even spotted by Brentford staff during the match.
Levi Colwill admitted to Sky that the team had been “bullied” at times and that improvement was essential, while also expressing confidence in the set‑piece coach’s methods and the need for the squad to adapt to new routines. Defensive issues extend far beyond dead‑ball scenarios. Chelsea’s ability to shield their defensive third ranks among the worst in the league; they have now gone 22 straight Premier League games without keeping a clean sheet. On average, they concede 2.2 non‑penalty goals per match, a figure that aligns closely with their expected goals (xG) statistics, indicating that the quality of chances they allow is genuinely high.
Their struggle to protect the penalty area is equally stark – they are among the top three clubs this season for conceding shots inside their own box, with roughly ten attempts per game, turning their goalkeeper into a de‑facto battering ram. These defensive shortcomings explain why Chelsea have been unable to preserve leads in their last three league encounters. The team often bursts out of the blocks with intensity, yet this season they failed to score within the opening ten minutes for the first time, only coming close when Pedro Neto saw a good chance saved. When they do fall behind, the side quickly loses its shape, allowing opponents to dictate the tempo.
Alonso summed it up: “We concede the first goal, you’re still in the game but then we lose the shape. We were out of control.” The return of Moisés Caicedo could provide some much‑needed stability, but his absence has highlighted how fragile Chelsea’s defensive foundation is without the Ecuadorian midfielder.
Two of the summer signings, Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco, started the Brentford match, yet the Bees appeared stronger in midfield. Brentford manager Keith Andrews arguably boasts deeper depth in that area, fielding a side that included record signing Mamadou Sangaré on the bench for over an hour while still securing a 3‑0 victory. From an attacking perspective, João Pedro currently stands out as Chelsea’s most influential goal‑scorer, but even his contributions could not prevent a goalless night – the first time this season the Blues have failed to find the net.
The match also marked the first occasion this campaign that the “JP Morgan” front line was broken up, underscoring the broader tactical disarray. Alonso’s task of instilling his philosophy at Stamford Bridge will inevitably take time. This was a team featuring seven of the club’s summer arrivals in the starting eleven, and Alonso is only the fourth manager to helm Chelsea in the past nine months.
Former captain Gary Cahill reminded Sky Sports that transformation does not happen overnight, adding that Alonso will be judged over the next five to seven weeks as he refines his ideas on the training ground. Alonso himself broadened the scope of required improvements beyond set‑pieces, highlighting defensive duels, build‑up play and overall game control as critical areas. In reality, those four components – set‑piece defending, individual duels, transition play and game management – encompass almost every facet of modern football. Levi Colwill echoed this sentiment after the international break, emphasizing that the squad has “a lot to work on.” In summary, Chelsea’s current predicament is a blend of tactical naiveté, personnel turnover and a lingering lack of defensive cohesion.
Their set‑piece record is among the league’s poorest, they concede an alarming number of shots inside the box, and they have struggled to maintain structural integrity after conceding early goals. While the return of key midfielders and the continued influence of new signings may gradually shore up the backline, the club’s short‑term outlook remains bleak unless the coaching staff can translate training ground adjustments into tangible on‑field improvements. The next few weeks, particularly after the international break, will be decisive in determining whether Alonso’s project can reverse the downward spiral or if Chelsea will continue to appear “bullied” and “out of control” in the Premier League.