Xabi Alonso lamented after Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford, "You need to feel it. We're not feeling it," highlighting a familiar sense of frustration that has settled over the club. The loss marked Chelsea’s eleventh defeat of the calendar year – already more than they suffered in the entire 2025 season – with just three months left in the campaign.
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 loss of consistency and competitive edge in the second half, noting that the inability to maintain intensity will be the biggest concern for supporters. Brentford capitalised on this dip, taking control after the break with ease. This match also continued a worrying trend: Chelsea being out‑battled across the pitch, a problem that plagued them in the majority of their league games last season.
Set‑piece deficiencies were front and centre against Brentford. The Bees executed long throws and clever corners, and, much like the previous game against Hull, Chelsea surrendered another goal from a dead‑ball situation. This was the fourth set‑piece goal they have conceded in five league fixtures, pushing their total since the start of last season to 23 – tied for the worst record in the Premier League.
The decisive moment came when a cross was delivered directly onto Emiliano Martínez at the back post, leaving both the keeper and the defenders unable to react. Brentford seemed to anticipate the delivery, positioning themselves perfectly to exploit the lapse. Vitaly Janelt later explained to Sky Sports that the team had identified the far post as a weak spot at half‑time and deliberately targeted it with their first corner of the second half. Despite employing Austin MacPhee, widely regarded as the league’s top dead‑ball specialist, Chelsea’s set‑piece woes persist.
Bernardo Cueva, the former set‑piece coach now in a different role at the club, was even poached by Brentford, underscoring the competitive edge the Bees have found in this area. Levi Colwill admitted that the side had been “bullied” at times and stressed the need for improvement, while also expressing confidence in the coaching staff’s ability to adapt. Defensive frailties extend beyond dead‑ball situations.
Chelsea’s record of allowing opponents to breach their third‑quarter is among the poorest in the division, and the team has 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) against, indicating that the defensive lapses are not merely a matter of bad luck but a systemic issue. Another alarming statistic is Chelsea’s ranking in the top three for shots allowed inside their own penalty area, averaging roughly ten per game. This relentless pressure forces the goalkeeper into a constant barrage, eroding confidence and making it difficult to maintain composure.
Consequently, the Blues have struggled to protect leads, failing to hold onto a advantage in their last three league encounters. The team’s opening‑phase performance has also deteriorated. For the first time this season, Chelsea did not take the lead within the opening ten minutes, although they came close when Pedro Neto saw a promising chance saved. When the opposition scores first, Chelsea’s response often devolves into a loss of shape and discipline, a point Alonso emphasised: "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 in midfield, but his absence has highlighted the lack of solidity when he is unavailable. Summer signings Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco started the Brentford match, yet the Bees appeared more cohesive in the middle of the park.
Brentford manager Keith Andrews arguably enjoys greater depth in that sector, and his side’s 3‑0 victory was achieved while record signing Mamadou Sangaré remained on the bench for over an hour. At present, João Pedro stands out as Chelsea’s most influential attacking player, but even his contributions could not prevent the team from failing to score for the first time this season. The loss underscores the growing pains of a squad that features seven new signings in the starting eleven and a manager, Alonso, who is only the fourth to helm the club in nine months. Former captain Gary Cahill reminded Sky Sports that transformation does not happen overnight.
He suggested that Alonso will be judged over the next five to seven weeks, a period that should allow the coaching staff to implement their methods more fully during training. "We've seen his ideas in attack, now we need to see them in defence," Cahill said.
Alonso himself broadened the discussion beyond set‑pieces, citing defensive duels, build‑up play, and overall game control as critical areas for improvement. These four pillars – set‑pieces, duels, build‑up, and control – encapsulate the main challenges Chelsea must address if they hope to climb out of the current slump.
Levi Colwill echoed this sentiment after the match, noting that the team has “a lot to work on over the international break.” The upcoming pause offers a valuable window for tactical adjustments, fitness work, and mental reinforcement. If Chelsea can tighten their defensive organisation, reduce the frequency of set‑piece concessions, and restore confidence in their shape after conceding first, they may yet reverse the downward trajectory that has defined their season so far.