Xabi Alonso lamented after the 3-0 defeat to Brentford, "We need to feel it. We're not feeling it," highlighting a familiar sense of frustration that has settled over Stamford Bridge. The loss marked Chelsea's eleventh defeat of the calendar year – a tally that already exceeds the total they suffered in the entire 2025 season, with three months still left to play.
For the fifth consecutive Premier League match under Alonso, the Blues have allowed at least two goals, and their vulnerability on set‑pieces has become a recurring theme. Alonso criticised the team’s lack of consistency and the missing competitive edge in the second half, saying, "We dropped our consistency, our competitive mentality needed in the second half." That admission will sting Chelsea supporters the most, because Brentford capitalised on the dip in intensity and ran away with the game after the interval. The pattern of being out‑battled is also re‑emerging; last season the club were frequently outrun by opponents, and that weakness appears to be resurfacing. Set‑piece defence was the first issue that jumped out when Chelsea faced Brentford.
Long throws, clever corners and a host of other dead‑ball situations were on full display, and, just as in the previous match against Hull, the Blues lost control by conceding yet another goal from a set‑piece. This was the fourth goal they have surrendered from a dead‑ball situation in the last five Premier League fixtures, taking their total since the start of last season to 23 – the joint‑worst figure among all clubs in the top flight. The decisive goal came when a cross was lofted directly onto the back post, landing on Emiliano Martínez’s head.
Neither the goalkeeper nor the surrounding defenders reacted in time, and Brentford’s players anticipated the delivery a mile away. Vitaly Janelt explained to Sky Sports, "We targeted the back post at half‑time.
There was a big gap at the far post. We targeted that and I think it was our first corner of the second half." Despite hiring Austin MacPhee, who is widely regarded as the league’s premier dead‑ball coach, Chelsea’s set‑piece frailties persist. Bernardo Cueva, the club’s former set‑piece specialist who now works in a different capacity, was even poached by Brentford during the match.
Levi Colwill echoed the sentiment of being bullied on set‑pieces, telling Sky Sports, "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." Yet the problems extend far beyond dead‑ball situations. Chelsea’s ability to shield their defensive third is among the poorest in the league – they have 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 defensive lapses are not merely a matter of bad luck.
Compounding the issue is a glaring inability to protect the penalty area. Chelsea rank in the top three this season for the number of shots they allow inside their own box, with roughly ten attempts per game. This relentless pressure forces their keepers into a battering‑ram role, making it almost inevitable that goals will be conceded.
Such defensive statistics help explain why the Blues have been unable to preserve a lead in their last three league outings. The team’s early‑game intensity also appears to have waned. For the first time this season, Chelsea failed to take the lead within the opening ten minutes, although they came close when Pedro Neto saw a good chance saved. When they do fall behind, they often become disorganised, as Alonso admitted: "We concede the first goal, you're still in the game but then we lose the shape.
We were out of control." The loss of structure after conceding is a habit that the squad must break if they hope to compete at the highest level. A potential remedy could be the return of Moisés Caicedo, whose presence adds much‑needed solidity to the midfield. Until then, the lack of a defensive anchor remains a concern. New signings Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco started the Brentford game, yet the Bees displayed a stronger midfield performance.
Brentford manager Keith Andrews arguably enjoys greater depth in that area, as evidenced by their 3‑0 victory despite having record signing Mamadou Sangaré on the bench for most of the match. Offensively, João Pedro currently stands out as Chelsea’s most influential scorer, but even his contributions could not prevent a goalless night – the first time the club have failed to find the net this season. The side fielded seven of the summer arrivals in the starting eleven, underscoring the transitional nature of Alonso’s project.
He is only the fourth manager to take charge of the club in nine months, and building cohesion will take time. Former captain Gary Cahill reminded Sky Sports that transformation does not 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 broadened the scope of required improvement, stating, "It's not just set‑pieces. In defensive duels, build‑up and controlling games." Those four pillars – set‑piece defence, individual duels, possession build‑up and overall game control – encapsulate the areas where Chelsea must make swift progress. Colwill summed up the sentiment over the upcoming international break: "We've got a lot to work on over the international break." The pause offers a chance to regroup, refine tactics, and integrate the new signings more fully.
If Chelsea can tighten their defensive organisation, reduce the flood of shots into their box, and restore a winning mentality, they may yet reverse the downward spiral that has defined their season so far.