Joao Pedro absent as Chelsea lose 3-0 at Brentford amid defensive problems
Chelsea lost 3-0 at Brentford on Friday in the Premier League, with striker Joao Pedro ruled out through a knee injury and Danny Welbeck unable to change the game after replacing him.
The defeat underlined Chelsea's defensive problems: they have conceded 12 goals, more than any other side in the Premier League, although they have played one match more than every other team, and new manager Xabi Alonso remains without tactical coherence after experimenting with different systems.
The match was balanced until Jaidon Anthony put Brentford ahead with a header from a corner in the 61st minute, and Chelsea then collapsed as the hosts added two late goals to complete a 3-0 victory and maintain their unbeaten start.
Joao Pedro's absence was felt in attack; he had come into the weekend with the most goal involvements in the Premier League, having scored three and provided three assists in four appearances this season. Danny Welbeck, signed from Brighton this summer, was tidy in possession but managed only 17 touches before being substituted in the 71st minute, while Morgan Rogers, the club record £117m signing, produced arguably his quietest performance since arriving from Aston Villa.
Chelsea's set-piece defending continued to be exposed: they have conceded 23 goals from set-pieces since the start of last season, more than any other Premier League side, and Anthony's header from a corner took this season's total to five. The club had appointed Bernardo Cueva from Brentford two years ago to address set-pieces and replaced him this summer with Austin MacPhee.
Stand-in captain Levi Colwill assessed the set-piece defending bluntly: "Not good enough. At times we have been bullied in the box and we definitely need to improve. "We have full trust in our set-piece coach and are still adjusting to new ideas, but we need to improve as a team."
Alonso has given 11 debuts so far and handed two on Friday — Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, the first 16-year-old to play for Chelsea in the Premier League, and Jordan Henderson, 36, who made his debut against his former club — and fielded Chelsea's oldest starting XI since May 2023, with Henderson, Welbeck and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the side. Alonso is also only the sixth manager to concede two or more goals in each of his first five Premier League matches in charge.
On the performance and mentality, Alonso said after Brentford added two late goals: "I would say that we have dropped our consistency and our competitive mentality in the second half. We know that small details can be decisive," and added on Sky Sports: "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."
With an extended international break coming up, Chelsea have three weeks before their next match to address defensive issues and reflect on the latest defeat as they head into the international period with questions to answer.
