If Chelsea’s defenders have clear sheet bonuses written into their contracts, they don’t seem to be doing a lot to earn their further pocket cash out of their membership. Somewhat, the dearth of dedication to cease the opposition from scoring is getting foolish now.
For the twenty first Premier League match in succession, Chelsea didn’t safe a clear sheet. Their final one got here in opposition to Brentford coincidentally, and that was in January, Liam Rosenior’s first recreation in cost. Since then, opposition assaults have thought of them there for the taking.
How Chelsea surrendered their newest shot at a shutout concerned just a little charity. It got here from a Brentford nook, the fifth set-piece purpose conceded by Xabi Alonso’s facet this season.
Austin MacPhee was employed from Aston Villa in the summertime, particularly to assist clear up these conditions. He’s making minor adjustments right here and there. For instance, Chelsea tried a brand new kick-off routine right here, with Cole Palmer booting the ball straight out of play for a Brentford throw-in by their nook flag, in a bid to pin them again from the get-go.
Nonetheless, relating to defending set-pieces, little appears to have modified on MacPhee’s watch as of but. Mikkel Damsgaard despatched his nook to the again of the six-yard field. Jannik Schuster headed it again throughout. Jaidon Anthony nodded it in, unmarked with Wesley Fofana having drifted to face on the road and watch all of it unfold.
He was not the one one at fault, but it surely did have no less than some Fofana fingerprints on it, and infrequently has the 25-year-old Frenchman appeared just like the defender that Chelsea – or Todd Boehly – hoped they have been signing in 2022 for £75million from Leicester Metropolis.
Chelsea proceed to battle defensively and suffered a 3-0 defeat by Brentford on Friday
Boehly was appearing as interim sporting director when Chelsea dedicated to bringing in Fofana. His harm historical past was naturally a priority, and so Chelsea’s chairman had an thought.
Boehly despatched his potential buy to New York fairly than London so he might have a extra thorough medical through the workforce physician of the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA workforce that he additionally co-owned. That medical lasted greater than ten hours, however Fofana ultimately acquired the inexperienced gentle, and Boehly his man.
Chelsea noticed one thing particular in him at the moment, however he’s nonetheless not standing as much as the elite requirements that the membership need of him. Hardly any of the again line are.
Chelsea’s defence is an issue which Alonso should clear up if he desires to be troubling in the direction of the highest of the Premier League. They’re leaking a glut of objectives, and this time, they didn’t have the assault to avoid wasting them with Joao Pedro sidelined and changed by Danny Welbeck.
SUBSTITUTION SCRUTINY
Alonso can’t escape scrutiny for his substitutions, together with his ignorance of Estevao Willian.
The Brazilian is a terrific younger expertise. He’s nonetheless solely 19, however has proven sufficient since arriving at Chelsea that he can have an effect if allowed the chance.
Certainly, it’s exhausting to not assume he’s deserving of extra minutes than he’s receiving. Earlier than this journey to Brentford, his Premier League season concerned being an 83rd-minute substitute; unused substitute; 81st-minute substitute; 86th-minute substitute.
Right here, Chelsea have been already shedding 2-0 when Estevao was introduced on within the 87th minute.
Stories in Brazil have continued to emerge suggesting the starlet is pissed off. It’s exhausting guilty him in that case. With the final kick of this recreation, Estevao swung in a nook which went straight out of play. In a method, that summed up his sorry season.
Xabi Alonso has obtained backlash for his substitutions, with some stars seemingly deserving of extra recreation time
Stories in Brazil recommend that Estevao is rising pissed off together with his function within the squad
A SURPRISE STAR
The bar was set low, however Jordan Henderson was one of many few that impressed for Chelsea, particularly within the first half in what was his first look in additional than three months.
The 36-year-old added expertise into the centre of the pitch, and made the guests appear rather less delicate no less than. That has been an accusation levelled at this younger Chelsea facet. However Henderson was eternally having a phrase with our referee, Andrew Madley, when one thing didn’t go his facet’s method.
A 12 months or two in the past, when Chelsea have been within the thick of their concentrate on youth, no one would have believed us if we mentioned Henderson and Welbeck would quickly be beginning for this membership. But right here they have been, contributing to a line-up that carried a mean age of 27 years and 349 days – Chelsea’s oldest since a 2023 league journey to Arsenal.
It helped within the first-half, however all unravelled within the second after conceding from an inexpensive set-piece.
