Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Defeat against Brentford serves as a real wake-up call for Xabi Alonso and Chelsea.
Chelsea’s backline hit rock bottom against Brentford, with that 3-0 beatdown stretching their Premier League run without a clean sheet to an embarrassing 21 straight games. They haven’t managed to keep a single clean sheet in the league since back in January, marking their worst defensive stretch in 65 years.
To make matters worse, Chelsea have officially conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League during this nightmare run.
No matter who lines up in that back four or what tweaks are made during the week, they look completely soft, and teams are cutting right through them every weekend.
We look very weak in the midfield and defence no good enough for trying to compete in the premier league
The weakness in this team is the midfield. The failure to dominate midfield undermines the exciting frontline and piles way too much pressure on a developing defensive line. Our dependence on Caicedo is obvious. Lavia is made of cheese. Barco is promising but needs to bulk up and the only bit of Henderson that isn't slow is his mouth
Levi Colwill addresses Chelsea issues in Brentford defeat
Wearing the captain’s armband, Levi Colwill spoke to the media after Chelsea’s loss to Brentford, specifically touching on the defensive issues the Blues are experiencing.
He said: “At times we have been bullied in the box, we need to definitely improve with that. We have got all trust in our set piece coach and still adjusting to new things. We do need to improve as a team.”
Chelsea poached Austin MacPhee from Aston Villa to finally fix their dead-ball nightmare. Renowned across the league for turning Villa into a set-piece powerhouse, MacPhee’s job is clear: fix a fragile defense that keeps crumbling under basic crosses and corners.
Levi Colwill played his part against Brentford
Levi Colwill had one touch in the opposition’s box, 77 touches, a passing accuracy of 88%, eight line-breaking passes, six passes into the final third, two interceptions, four recoveries, five clearances and won both of his defensive duels.
Considering the display, Colwill was one of the better performers, but the defensive displays have been far from good enough this season.