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Ivory CoastBrentford Thump Chelsea to Leave Alonso and Colwill Hurting
Levi Colwill admits Chelsea are hurting after a heavy 3-0 defeat at Brentford exposed defensive flaws under manager Xabi Alonso.
The Breakdown in West London
Chelsea suffered a painful 3-0 defeat against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. The visitors showed defensive improvement in the first half after some shaky recent performances, but everything changed in the 61st minute.
Poor marking at a corner allowed Jaidon Anthony to head home unmarked from virtually on the goal line. After that, goals from Igor Thiago and Fábio Carvalho sealed a heavy loss for the Blues.
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill admitted the team struggled after falling behind. He said that conceding from a set piece was not ideal, and the team overexposed themselves by trying to push too hard for an equaliser instead of remaining calm.
Attack Struggles Without Key Man
Chelsea entered the match in excellent scoring form, having netted 18 goals in their previous six matches in all competitions. However, Brentford successfully managed Chelsea's injury hit attack.
The absence of João Pedro was a major blow for the visitors. Danny Welbeck started in his place but could not link up as effectively with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers.
Without Pedro, Chelsea struggled to create clear chances. Colwill noted that the team cannot simply rely on their front three to save them. He stated that the defence, midfield and attack all need to help each other much more.
Alonso Joins Unwanted Club
The heavy defeat leaves manager Xabi Alonso in a difficult spot. He is now only the sixth manager in Premier League history to see his team concede two or more goals in each of his first five matches.
He joins Mick McCarthy, Sammy Lee, Terry Connor, Slavisa Jokanovic and Scott Parker in holding this unwanted record.
Brentford took full advantage of Chelsea's defensive struggles late in the game. In the 83rd minute, Emiliano Martínez saved a shot from Kevin Schade, but Thiago scored the rebound. Carvalho then added the third in stoppage time from another Schade cross. Chelsea now have plenty of work to do during the international break.
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