On 19 September, Beijing time (CEST), in the fifth round of the Premier League, Chelsea lost 0-3 to Brentford. Following the match, The Athletic's Chelsea reporter Liam Twomey published an article discussing his views on the match and his assessment of Chelsea's future performance.

Column Article

Chelsea have suffered greatly at the Gtech Community Stadium in recent years.

They have won only one Premier League match at Brentford's home: a narrow 1-0 victory in October 2021, when they withstood an intense onslaught from their opponents in the closing stages. After that match, Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell described the experience as "hell on earth." He also stated: "In the final 20 minutes, we showed the fighting spirit that we should have displayed all season."

However, after Brentford secured their first league home victory against this West London rival since 1938, Harvey Alonso's grim post-match summary starkly revealed the drastic changes Chelsea have undergone over the past five years—changes far more complex than mere personnel shifts. He acknowledged: "I have to say, in the second half, we lost focus and failed to show the competitive spirit we should have had."

Under Alonso, Chelsea have played their best first-half defense since he took over, but their second-half defending was arguably their worst. Brentford interim manager Keith Andrews, when commenting on Chelsea's tactics, said: "They were very, very cautious against us and against the characteristics and strengths we used to attack their defense."

This tactical approach led to constant possession turnovers and frequent ball losses in the first half, with countless tackles and blocks, but neither team created many clear goalscoring opportunities.

Everything changed completely just after the hour mark.

When asked about Chelsea conceding from set pieces for the fifth time this season, Levi Colwill acknowledged that the team sometimes felt "overwhelmed" in the penalty area. But if Valentín Barco, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall, is tasked with marking Jannik Schüster, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, what other outcome could there be? Height is an objective physical difference, not a mental issue. More debatable is when Jaden Anthony headed in an undefended cross, with three players left marking empty space.

With Chelsea trailing 0-1, Alonso's substitution saw young winger Geovany Cunda replace Danny Welbeck, the only orthodox centre-forward in the starting lineup. This change seemed puzzling at the time, but ultimately it wasn't the reason Brentford completely dominated Chelsea.

Henderson's debut was initially praiseworthy but marred by poor passing: with eight teammates ahead of him, he attempted an impossible pass into the heart of Brentford's compact defense, resulting in an immediate turnover and a deadly counterattack for the opposition.

In the 94th minute, when Fábio Carvalho easily scored Brentford's third goal, Alonso had already made four substitutions, bringing on three young players and 20-year-old Josh Acheampong. Nicolai Azuoli became Chelsea's youngest Premier League debutant, an extraordinary achievement he and his family will always remember, but this trend merely highlights the weakness in Alonso's current squad depth.

Such a defeat was predictable: earlier this month at the Emirates, Arsenal created enough chances for a comfortable victory, and last weekend at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's attacking play left them vulnerable at the back, making Hull City appear more likely to win.

Even in two impressive victories against Fulham and Brighton, the results could have been different if João Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer were not performing at their peak. Chelsea fans initially enjoyed this style of play for its sheer chaos, and while entertaining, it can be equally destructive when things go wrong.

Now that the first five rounds of the Premier League are complete, it's clear that beyond the vitality and skill of their attacking trio, this Chelsea team currently has little else to boast about. Henderson and Barco brought stability and control to midfield in the first 45 minutes, but this was built on Brentford controlling the pace of the game.

Whether in open play or from set pieces, Chelsea's entire defense remains very vulnerable and prone to errors. This may be a ripple effect from Moisés Caicedo's absence—the first time players who have been at Chelsea for more than three years have had to cope without him for an extended period—but that is certainly not the only reason for the defeat.

Currently, Chelsea display no clear tactical identity, whether in possession or out of possession. In the Premier League, such ambiguity is often dangerous, and against teams like Brentford—whose "superpower" is that no matter which 11 players take the field, they clearly know who they are and what they need to do every moment—it is fatal.

For fans who have witnessed Chelsea's performance over the four years of the BlueCo era, there is naturally little patience for the narrative that "this is still the early stage of Alonso's tenure," even though it's true. Some may question the viability of this tactical system, while others may wonder why talented young forward Estêvão received only 8 minutes of playing time in matches against Hull City and Brentford, when the team desperately needed attacking reinforcement.

Alonso actually has plenty of time to refine his tactics: a full preseason and training sessions at Cobham during the Premier League break. Playing once a week should be a significant advantage, but a relaxed schedule also means poor results and performances are harder to turn around quickly. Chelsea must wait three weeks for a chance to "redeem" this defeat.

However, the long international break also gives Alonso an excellent opportunity to adjust and refine his coaching philosophy as Caicedo, João Pedro, and Reece James gradually regain fitness. Chelsea may emerge as a more complete and convincing team in October, but there is still much work to be done to achieve that goal.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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