Chelsea’s unwanted Premier League clean-sheet drought has now stretched to 21 consecutive matches after Friday’s 3-0 defeat against Brentford.
Xabi Alonso’s side survived the opening hour at the Gtech Community Stadium before Jaidon Anthony finally broke the deadlock.
Igor Thiago doubled Brentford’s advantage before Fabio Carvalho completed Chelsea’s heaviest league defeat of the season in stoppage time.
More importantly for Alonso, the defensive sequence Chelsea desperately needed to end has become even worse.
Reuters confirmed Chelsea have now gone 21 Premier League matches without a clean sheet.
It is a run stretching back to January.
Chelsea clean-sheet drought reaches 21 league games
Chelsea’s last Premier League clean sheet came against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on 17 January.
They have conceded in every league fixture since.
The previous version of this article detailed how the 2-2 draw with Hull City took Chelsea’s run to 20 matches.
Friday took them beyond that landmark.
Chelsea’s 21-game sequence is their longest league run without a clean sheet since the club went 31 consecutive matches without one between November 1960 and August 1961.
The worrying part is that the problem has continued despite major changes.
Different defenders have played.
The goalkeeper has changed.
Alonso has used different structures.
The result remains the same.
Our Brentford 3-0 Chelsea match report showed how the contest unravelled after half-time.
Chelsea had kept Brentford out for 60 minutes.
They then conceded three times.
Chelsea have conceded 12 goals in five league games
The start of Alonso’s first full Premier League campaign makes the sequence even more concerning.
Chelsea have conceded:
Two against Fulham
Three against Brighton
Two against Arsenal
Two against Hull City
Three against Brentford
That is 12 goals conceded in five Premier League matches.
Reuters reported after the Brentford defeat that Alonso’s side have now won only two of their opening five league fixtures.
The manager had already recognised the imbalance.
Before facing Brentford, Alonso demanded Chelsea become more secure defensively despite an excellent attacking start to the campaign.
We covered that warning when Alonso told Chelsea they needed a better balance between attack and defence.
Brentford showed the problem remains unsolved.
Set pieces have become another Chelsea concern
Anthony’s opener made the manner of Chelsea’s defending particularly frustrating.
Mikkel Damsgaard delivered a corner before Jannik Schuster redirected it towards Anthony, who was left free to finish.
That came only hours after Alonso had praised the work of new set-piece coach Austin MacPhee.
Our analysis of Austin MacPhee’s early Chelsea set-piece impact highlighted how dangerous the Blues had become from dead balls themselves.
Brentford provided the other side of that equation.
Sky Sports highlighted Chelsea’s continuing set-piece problems after the match, alongside Alonso’s concerns about his team’s competitive mentality.
Chelsea cannot afford for a strength at one end to become another weakness at the other.
International break gives Alonso time to find answer
Alonso now has an unusual opportunity.
Chelsea do not return to Premier League action until Bournemouth visit Stamford Bridge after the international break.
Supporters can track that game and the rest of the campaign through our evergreen Chelsea fixtures and results guide.
There is also no shortage of defensive options within the squad.
Our Chelsea Premier League squad guide shows the depth Alonso can call upon when everyone is available.
Personnel alone have not provided the answer.
Chelsea have now conceded in 21 straight league matches.
Until that number stops increasing, the defensive problem will remain one of the defining issues of Alonso’s Chelsea.
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