Alonsos

Chelsea left with one point from their last three Premier League games after a 3-0 defeat at neighbours Brentford.

Brentford exposed Chelsea’s defensive problems to inflict a damaging 3-0 defeat that gives Xabi Alonso plenty to ponder during a three-week international break.

After a promising start to life under the former Real Madrid coach, Chelsea have picked up just one point from their last three league games.

Goals from Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho took unbeaten Brentford above their west London neighbours late on Friday and up to third in the table.

“I have this unbelievable calm around that team because I trust them. It’s nice to see it come to fruition,” said Brentford boss Keith Andrews.

Chelsea had quickly earned the reputation as the Premier League’s great entertainers under Alonso, with their opening four games containing 19 goals.

But the loss of Joao Pedro to a knee injury subdued the Blues’ free-flowing attack as Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers were comfortably kept in check by the Bees.

“At the moment we are not being consistent enough to compete during the whole game,” said Alonso.

“It’s about everything. It’s about the mentality. It’s about football, tactical things that we need to keep improving that we can do much better.”

Alonso said after last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Hull, he was hoping for more “boring” games going forward.

The Spaniard sought control as he made four changes in all, handing Jordan Henderson his first Chelsea start against the 36-year-old’s former club.

Alonso got his wish during a flat first half in which neither goalkeeper was seriously tested, but Brentford were the more threatening side in the second period.

The visitors’ frailty from set-pieces led to the opening goal when Jannick Schuster rose highest to meet Mikkel Damsgaard’s corner, and Anthony was left with a simple task to head into an unguarded net just after the hour mark.

Chelsea’s response was muted, and as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, Alonso’s men were picked off on the counterattack.

Kevin Schade should have scored the second goal himself when played clean through on Emi Martinez.

But even after the Argentinian goalkeeper spread himself to save, the rebound fell kindly for Thiago to end his goal drought.

The Brazilian netted 25 times last season, earning a shock call-up to Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad as a result.

Thiago has looked shorn of confidence in the early weeks of the campaign and tore off his shirt in celebration after netting for the first time in the Premier League this season.

Chelsea have conceded at least twice in all five league games under Alonso, and there was further punishment to come in stoppage time.

Schade’s low cross was deflected into the path of Carvalho, who fired high past Martinez to leave Andrews yelling into the night sky in delight.

Brentford, who also beat Tottenham 3-0 on the opening weekend of the season, sit behind only defending champions Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the table.

By contrast, Chelsea were handed another reminder of the gap Alonso must bridge to make them title contenders once more.

Chelsea signed a striker from Brighton for the second successive summer, bringing in Welbeck to reunite him with Joao Pedro and provide support in attack.

Welbeck, 35, was tidy in possession but, with little service, managed only 17 touches before being substituted in the 71st minute.

Unlike Joao Pedro, who is capable of creating chances for himself, Welbeck found it difficult to influence the game in the same way.

Joao Pedro came into the weekend with the most goal involvements in the Premier League, having scored three and provided three assists in four appearances this season.

His impact extends beyond goals and assists, with the Brazilian linking well with Palmer and Rogers. Against Brentford, however, Rogers arguably produced his quietest performance since arriving from Aston Villa in the summer.

Rogers eventually moved up front with fellow striker Emmanuel Emegha sidelined through injury and still waiting to make his Chelsea debut.

Before Brentford‘s opener, it was a closely contested match that appeared likely to be decided by the first goal. Chelsea, however, made victory a certainty for the hosts with a dramatic collapse.

Alonso has not managed to cure Chelsea‘s set-piece weaknesses. They have conceded 23 goals from set-pieces since the start of last season – no Premier League side has let in more. And Anthony’s simple header from a corner took this season’s total to five.

Set-piece defending was an area Chelsea sought to address when they appointed Bernardo Cueva from Brentford two years ago. This summer, he was replaced by another highly regarded specialist in Austin MacPhee.

Asked about Chelsea‘s defending from set-pieces, stand-in captain Levi Colwill told Sky Sports: “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.”

Like many of his predecessors, Alonso has been attempting to instil a stronger competitive edge within his squad and improve the mentality of his players.

That issue has often been linked to the relatively young age profile of the squad, but Chelsea fielded their oldest starting XI since May 2023. Henderson, in making his debut on Friday, lined up alongside fellow over-30s Welbeck and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

“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,” Alonso said after Brentford added two late goals.

It is also fair to say Alonso is still experimenting with systems and personnel, and has yet to settle on a style of play that gives his side control throughout a match.

“It’s not about looking for excuses,” the Spaniard told Sky Sports. “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.”

After the initial excitement – and victories – provided by Alonso’s attacking football, Chelsea head into the international break with serious questions to answer.