Colwill: Chelsea Were Bullied in Brentford Defeat

Brentford beat Chelsea 3-0 in the west London derby on Saturday, and it was Chelsea's defending that did the damage to their own campaign. It is their 11th defeat of the calendar year, already more than they suffered in the whole of 2025 with three months still to play, and they are now winless in three league games after an encouraging start to the season.

Xabi Alonso's side have conceded at least two goals in five straight Premier League matches. Half of Saturday's damage was self-inflicted: level at the break, Chelsea lost their grip after half-time and shipped three without reply. Alonso put it down to a drop in concentration and what he called the side's competitive mentality once Brentford pulled ahead.

Set-pieces did for them again. It was the fourth goal Chelsea have conceded from a dead ball in five league games, a pattern that first showed up against Hull and has now followed them into successive matches. Levi Colwill wore the captain's armband for the night, with Reece James — who left for Rotherham United in February — no longer around to take it.

Colwill, speaking to Sky Sports, gave a blunt account of how Brentford's second goal came about.

«First of all, seeing the set piece, obviously we weren't the best. We tried to push and maybe overexpose ourselves, play some passes we shouldn't have and forced it. "They hit us on the counter, which they're so good at, and got the second goal».

He added that the third goal hurt the most, and that Chelsea were not good enough in the second half. At times, he said, his side had been bullied in the box, and that is something they need to improve.

Chelsea's set-piece coach, Austin MacPhee, has now seen his work punished in back-to-back matches, and Alonso confirmed defensive organisation will be a focus of the international break. Obi Mikel had already pointed to the same problem earlier this month, when Chelsea had shipped 12 goals in six games despite still being unbeaten. That run is over now, and the numbers have only worsened since.

It fell to Colwill, again wearing the captain's armband, to address how Chelsea intend to fix a fault that has now cost them in back-to-back matches. He was pressed on whether the dressing room's confidence in MacPhee's methods has been shaken.

«The third goal really hit home and hurt. "In the second half, we weren't good enough, obviously. We've got a lot to work on over the international break. "We have not been good enough, at times we have been bullied and we need to improve at that, but we trust in out set-piece coach, we are still adjusting to new things, but we do need to improve as a team." "We did target it at half time,».

Chelsea do not play again until 10 October, at home to Bournemouth. Alonso has three weeks to find answers before the defence is tested again — time he may need, given how often the same fault has now repeated itself.