Chelsea’s dismal 0-3 defeat to Brentford has exposed a critical issue within Xabi Alonso's setup. The Blues' attack struggled woefully without injured striker João Pedro, highlighting the team's dependency on the Brazilian.
Pedro had an exceptional start to the season, netting three goals and three assists in the opening four Premier League fixtures. Yet his influence on the pitch goes far beyond mere statistics; his unique movement and ability to link play enabled Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers to function at peak efficiency. Without their attacking leader, the Londoners appeared toothless and had no idea how to penetrate the Bees’ defence.
Veteran substitute Danny Welbeck was virtually invisible, with just 17 touches in 71 minutes of play. Moving Rogers further up the pitch also reaped no rewards, as the summer signing endured his least impressive performance for the club.
The disaster for Chelsea struck just after the hour mark. A header from Jadon Anthony following a corner on the 61st minute triggered a cascade of calamity, culminating in the comprehensive defeat. The Blues' nightmare from set pieces continues to haunt them, with 23 goals conceded from dead-ball situations since last season—an unwanted league low. Anthony's goal marked the fifth such concession in this season's campaign.
Xabi Alonso, who has already introduced 11 debutants this season including Mahdi Nicol-Jazuli and Jordan Henderson, now faces a three-week international break to regroup. However, it’s clear that merely getting João Pedro back into the fold will not resolve the systemic issues plaguing Chelsea both in attack and defence.
