Chelsea’s defensive troubles deepened dramatically on Friday as Brentford condemned Xabi Alonso’s side to a 3-0 defeat in a one-sided west London derby.
The result extended Chelsea’s winless Premier League run to three matches and exposed yet again the defensive and set-piece weaknesses that have plagued Alonso’s early reign.
Brentford took the lead when Mikkel Damsgaard’s corner was nodded across goal by Jannik Schuster, allowing Jaidon Anthony to rise unmarked and head home from close range.
Chelsea attempted to respond after the break, switching to a back four as they searched for an equaliser, but the tactical change left them vulnerable on the counter.
Kevin Schade broke through and raced towards goal, only for Emiliano Martinez to deny him in a one-on-one situation. However, Igor Thiago reacted quickest to fire the rebound into an empty net, ending his seven-game goal drought and putting Brentford firmly in control.
The hosts completed the rout with virtually the last kick of the game when Fabio Carvalho, returning from a near-year-long injury lay-off, tucked away Schade’s cross unmarked at the far post for his first Premier League goal since his return.
The defeat leaves Chelsea with a worrying defensive record, having conceded 12 goals in their opening five Premier League matches — the highest tally in the division — while still waiting for their first clean sheet of the campaign.
Chelsea also struggled to create meaningful opportunities in attack, with the absence of injured Joao Pedro particularly evident.
Danny Welbeck, brought in to replace the Brazilian, failed to produce a clear-cut opportunity, while Cole Palmer showed flashes of creativity without being able to unlock Brentford’s defence.
The Blues’ midfield was also weakened by the absence of Moises Caicedo, with Jordan Henderson handed his first start for Chelsea against the club he left to join the Blues.
Pedro Neto produced Chelsea’s clearest early threat with a ninth-minute effort, but Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was equal to it.
Brentford, meanwhile, became the first team to prevent Chelsea from scoring in the Premier League this season and maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, climbing to third place.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat, Alonso admitted Chelsea had fallen short of the required standard.
“I’m disappointed with the second half and with the result. This is not enough to compete in the Premier League.”
The Spaniard said his team failed to sustain its performance over the full 90 minutes.
“We were not able to maintain our level for the full 90 minutes and that’s why we were punished today.”
Alonso also pointed to a combination of mental, tactical and footballing shortcomings that Chelsea must address.
“It’s about everything. It’s about the mentality, the football and the tactical things that we need to keep improving. We can do much better.”
Asked whether the absence of Joao Pedro had contributed to the defeat, Alonso rejected the idea of using injuries as an excuse.
“It’s not about looking for excuses. We need to look at each other and know that we have to work and improve because there is still a long way to go.”
He added that Chelsea had reached promising positions but repeatedly failed with their final execution.
“We got into situations, but we were not precise enough with the final action. That’s why we didn’t score.”
