Xabi Alonso lamented after Chelsea’s 3‑0 defeat at Brentford, "You need to feel it. We're not feeling it." The comment summed up a familiar frustration that has settled over the Blues this season.
The loss marked Chelsea’s eleventh defeat of the calendar year – a tally that already exceeds what they managed in all of 2025, and there are still three months left to play. For the fifth consecutive Premier League match under Alonso, the team has surrendered at least two goals, and their set‑piece vulnerability remains glaring.
Alonso admitted that the squad’s consistency and competitive edge slipped in the second half, a shortcoming that will alarm supporters the most. Brentford exploited the dip with ease, taking control after the break and never looking back. This pattern of being out‑battled is not new; last season, Chelsea were outrun in the majority of their league fixtures, and the trend appears to be repeating. When Chelsea face Brentford, the first thing that springs to mind is the set‑piece battle – long throws, clever corners, and the like.
As in the previous game against Hull, the Blues lost their grip on the match by conceding yet another goal from a dead‑ball situation. In fact, this was the fourth goal they have allowed from a set‑piece in just five Premier League outings, bringing their total since the start of last season to 23 – the joint‑worst record in the division. The latest concession came when a cross was placed directly at the back post, landing on Emiliano Martínez’s shoulders.
Neither the goalkeeper nor the outfield players could react in time, and Brentford seemed to have anticipated the delivery a mile away. Vitaly Janelt confirmed the intention, telling Sky Sports, "We targeted the back post at half‑time. There was a big gap at the far post, and we went for it on our first corner of the second half." Chelsea’s set‑piece troubles persist despite the appointment of Austin MacPhee, now regarded as the league’s top dead‑ball coach.
Bernardo Cueva, who previously handled set‑pieces for the club before moving into a different role, was even poached by Brentford during the match. Levi Colwill echoed the sentiment of the squad, saying, "We have not been good enough, at times we have been bullied and we need to improve at that. We trust our set‑piece coach; we are still adjusting to new things, but we do need to improve as a team." The defensive deficiencies extend beyond dead‑ball scenarios. Chelsea’s ability to shield their defensive third ranks among the poorest in the Premier League – they have gone 22 straight 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 against (xG) statistics, indicating that the numbers are not merely a product of bad luck. Another alarming metric is the volume of shots they allow inside their own penalty area.
Chelsea sit in the top three for shots conceded in the box, averaging roughly ten per game, turning their goalkeeper into a constant target for opposition firepower. Such exposure explains why the team has struggled to protect leads in their last three league contests.
The opening minutes of the Brentford game highlighted another issue: Chelsea’s inability to start strongly. For the first time this season they failed to take the lead within the first ten minutes, coming close only when Pedro Neto saw a good chance saved. When the Blues fall behind, they often become disorganized, a habit that resurfaces quickly. Alonso summed it up, "It’s about everything – mentality, football, and tactical aspects we need to keep improving.
We concede the first goal, you’re still in the game but then we lose shape. We were out of control." The return of Moisés Caicedo could ease some of the pressure, but his absence has highlighted a lack of solidity in midfield. New signings Jordan Henderson and Valentín Barco started the match, yet Brentford’s midfield appeared more cohesive.
Manager Keith Andrews arguably possesses deeper depth in that area, as evidenced by his side’s 3‑0 victory while record signing Mamadou Sangaré spent over an hour on the bench. At present, João Pedro stands out as Chelsea’s most influential attacker in terms of goal contribution. The "JP Morgan" front line was broken up for the first time this season, and Chelsea failed to find the net altogether – a first for them this campaign.
Alonso’s task of imprinting his philosophy on Stamford Bridge will inevitably take time. This side fielded seven of his summer acquisitions in the starting eleven, and he is only the fourth manager to helm the club in nine months. Former captain Gary Cahill reminded Sky Sports that patience is required, stating, "It doesn’t happen overnight.
I think 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." Beyond set‑pieces, Alonso identified three further areas needing urgent attention: defensive duels, build‑up play, and overall game control. In truth, those four facets – set‑pieces, duels, build‑up, and control – encapsulate the majority of Chelsea’s current shortcomings. Levi Colwill added that the squad has "a lot to work on over the international break," a sentiment that will likely be echoed throughout the dressing room as they seek to reverse a season that has already become a defensive nightmare for the London club.