Brentford maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 3-0 win over Chelsea on Friday, a result that turned on Jaidon Anthony’s 61st-minute opener and a late collapse from the visitors. Until Anthony struck, the contest at the Brentford Community Stadium had been even. Once Brentford got their noses in front, Chelsea fell apart, conceding twice more in the closing stages.
Chelsea’s problem for much of the campaign has been defending. At Brentford, scoring also became an issue. Joao Pedro was ruled out with a knee injury, and his absence disrupted an attack that had previously been free-scoring under new manager Xabi Alonso. The Brazilian came into the weekend with the most goal involvements in the Premier League, having scored three goals and provided three assists in four appearances, and his value to the side extends beyond that output: he links play with Cole Palmer and club record £117m signing Morgan Rogers, and he is capable of creating chances for himself.
Danny Welbeck was the man asked to fill in, but he struggled to influence the game in the way Joao Pedro does. Welbeck, 35, was tidy in possession but, with little service, managed only 17 touches before being substituted in the 71st minute. Rogers, meanwhile, arguably produced his quietest performance since arriving from Aston Villa in the summer, and later moved up front with fellow striker Emmanuel Emegha sidelined through injury and still waiting to make his Chelsea debut.
Joao Pedro’s absence did not create Chelsea’s defensive problems, but it removed the attacking brilliance that had been outscoring opponents earlier in the season. Alonso’s side have now conceded 12 goals, more than any other team in the Premier League, albeit having played a game more than every other side. Alonso is only the sixth manager to concede two or more goals in each of his first five Premier League matches in charge. The conclusion is difficult to avoid: stopping Chelsea from conceding has become increasingly urgent. Some of the issues are inherited, but the new manager has not yet built any real tactical coherence in the opening weeks of the campaign.
Set-pieces remain a particular problem. Chelsea have conceded 23 goals from set-pieces since the start of last season, more than any other Premier League side, and Anthony’s simple header from a corner took this season’s total to five. The club sought to address that area by appointing Bernardo Cueva from Brentford two years ago, and this summer he was replaced by another highly regarded specialist, Austin MacPhee. Speaking to Sky Sports, stand-in captain Levi Colwill was blunt in his assessment: “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 is still experimenting. He has given 11 debuts, including two on Friday: midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli became the first 16-year-old to play for Chelsea in the Premier League, while new signing Jordan Henderson, 36, appeared against his former club. Henderson lined up alongside fellow over-30s Welbeck and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as Chelsea fielded their oldest starting XI since May 2023 — a notable detail given that the squad’s mentality issues have often been linked to its relatively young profile.
After the match, Alonso pointed to the second half as the moment his side lost its way. “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,” he said as Brentford added two late goals. He rejected the idea of excuses when speaking to 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.”
Alonso has yet to settle on a style of play that gives his team control across a full match, and the initial excitement generated by his attacking football has given way to serious questions. With an extended international break now upon them, Chelsea have three weeks to dwell on this latest defeat before the campaign resumes.