Xabi Alonso has admitted Chelsea need to tighten up at the back ahead of Friday’s Premier League clash at Brentford. The manager was adamant that the entire side, not any particular defensive unit, bears responsibility for the club’s leaky record.
Chelsea have conceded nine goals in four league games, the worst of the current top nine, and have scored 10 while picking up seven points. That imbalance was typified last weekend when a 2-2 draw at home to newly promoted Hull City extended a long sequence without a clean sheet in the competition.
Alonso shared an honest view about the situation:
“It’s obvious that in defence we can do better.”
After that admission at his press conference, the Spaniard downplayed suggestions that the issue is down to personnel or formation alone. He said:
“The defence is all the team it is not just the back four or the back five whatever. It is about the team, it is how we compete, how we adapt to the different moments when we take the lead or when the game is even.
“We need to have the same mentality to be competing in different moments. We know that the Premier League is very difficult to control the whole game. But, to be able to adapt, to feel that you have the awareness that is needed, it is very important for sure.”
Alonso also played down the fixture as a crucial turning point in his opening batch of games at Stamford Bridge. He added:
“I’ve had four or five weeks since we started, this is going to be the seventh game in this block. It is an important one because it is before the international break, because it is Premier League, because it is away against Brentford.
“It’s always tough so we will have to play with a high demand game.”
What the Numbers Tell Us About Chelsea’s Defensive Problem
The following data support Alonso’s argument that the problem is collective and not positional. Chelsea had 68% possession against Hull and completed 479 accurate passes compared to their visitors’ 179 but still lost the expected goals battle 1.49 to 0.89.
Hull’s 5-4-1 formation created four big chances, which were converted into two goals thanks to Mohamed Belloumi. Chelsea’s weakness was compounded by their failure to win duels. They won 10 tackles to Hull’s 17 – a success rate of 30% – with the visitors clearing their lines 32 times to Chelsea’s 14.
Brentford are seventh and unbeaten and third in the division for shots at 17 per 90 minutes, with the exact direct, front-foot profile to take advantage of those frailties on Friday evening.