Alonso's Chelsea honeymoon shattered by 3-0 loss at Brentford | The Straits Times

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso faces pressure after a 3-0 loss to Brentford, leaving his side with 12 goals conceded in five Premier League games and prompting calls for better consistency and fight. Brentford benefited from a strong second half, with goals from Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago, and Fabio Carvalho, while Alonso awaits medical updates ahead of the next home match against Bournemouth.

Alonso's Chelsea honeymoon shattered by 3-0 loss at Brentford | The Straits Times # Alonso's Chelsea honeymoon shattered by 3-0 loss at Brentford Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - September 18, 2026 Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso reacts REUTERS/David Klein Published Sep 19, 2026, 06:23 AM Updated Sep 19, 2026, 06:23 AM LONDON, Sept 18 - Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso will be relieved that the international break now gives him three weeks of respite to fix his team who, after a 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Friday, have conceded 12 goals in their five opening Premier League games. The season began brightly with wins over Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion, prompting talk of Alonso turning Chelsea into possible title contenders after his move to Stamford Bridge in July. But there were warning signs in those early wins as Chelsea let in five goals over the 180 minutes. A subsequent 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, a 2-2 home draw against Hull City last weekend and Friday's hammering by Brentford have ruined Alonso's honeymoon. The Spaniard said his players were proving unable to keep their focus throughout matches and needed to show more consistency and fighting mentality. "It's about 95 minutes. We have not been able to keep that level throughout these few games in the start of the season, and it's something that we have to do better," Alonso told reporters. "We know that it's a process, that it's still (only) five games, and in a competitive Premier League, that each game is really hard." Alonso will be hoping for good n…

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