Brentford handed Xabi Alonso a major setback on Friday night, cruising to a 3 0 victory over Chelsea and exposing defensive weaknesses that the Blues will need to address during the international break.
Chelsea had made an encouraging start under Alonso, but their recent form has raised fresh concerns. The defeat means they have collected just one point from their last three league matches, adding pressure on the Spanish coach to find a quick solution.
Jaidon Anthony opened the scoring before Igor Thiago ended his Premier League goal drought and Fabio Carvalho completed the rout in stoppage time. The result lifted unbeaten Brentford above their west London neighbours and into third place.
Chelsea had quickly become one of the Premier League’s most entertaining sides under Alonso, with 19 goals scored across their opening four matches. However, the injury to Joao Pedro has taken some of the spark out of their attack, while Brentford successfully kept Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers quiet for most of the night.
Following last weekend’s 2 2 draw against Hull, Alonso had admitted that he would welcome more controlled and less open matches. He made four changes to his starting lineup and gave Jordan Henderson his first Chelsea start against his former club.
The plan worked for much of a subdued first half, with neither goalkeeper seriously troubled. Brentford, however, grew into the contest after the break and began to expose Chelsea’s weaknesses.
The opening goal came from a corner. Jannick Schuster rose highest to meet Mikkel Damsgaard’s delivery, allowing Anthony to head the ball into an unguarded net shortly after the hour mark.
Chelsea struggled to produce a meaningful response. As Alonso’s side pushed forward for an equaliser, Brentford found space to launch dangerous counter attacks.
Kevin Schade had a golden opportunity to double the lead after breaking clear, but Emi Martinez managed to block his effort. The rebound fell perfectly for Thiago, who made no mistake from close range.
It was a significant moment for the Brazilian, who scored 25 times last season and earned a surprise place in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad. After a quiet start to the new campaign, Thiago celebrated passionately after finally finding the net in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s defensive problems continued to haunt them. They have now conceded at least twice in each of their five league matches under Alonso, and Brentford added further damage deep into stoppage time.
Schade’s low cross took a deflection and fell into the path of Carvalho, who smashed the ball high past Martinez to complete a memorable night for Brentford.
The Bees have now recorded another 3 0 victory after defeating Tottenham by the same scoreline on the opening weekend. Their unbeaten start has taken them to third in the table, behind only defending champions Arsenal and Manchester City.
For Chelsea, the defeat provides another clear indication of the work still required under Alonso. Their early attacking promise has been overshadowed by defensive frailties, and the international break gives the coach time to work on fixing those problems before the league resumes.
