Xabi Alonso has put Chelsea on notice before Brentford vs Chelsea. After the 2-2 draw with Hull City, he said the team are still not solid enough, and the warning fits a side that has conceded at least two goals in all four Premier League matches so far this season.

Alonso's warning after Hull

Chelsea's collapse in the space of seven minutes in the first half against Hull was the sort of spell that forces a manager to stop talking around the issue. Alonso said, "We have been punished. [This result] repeats patterns we are making. It will take time to fix them." He also added, "For sure, I think it will come. At the moment, we are not having that feeling we are solid enough. With work and with games, I think it will get better."

The longer view is not much kinder. Chelsea have gone 20 league matches without a clean sheet, and Alonso has also called this an early stage of the project. "It's early days for us. It's one month together and in one month, we know the idea, the concepts, the mentality, but it's too early to know it's already built," he said.

The midfield return picture

The other part of the week is personnel. Alonso said, "We will develop when important players are joining and they are able to play," and that leaves space for Jordan Henderson to matter as soon as he is fit enough to feature. He has yet to play for Chelsea in the league since arriving on a free transfer in the summer.

Moisés Caicedo is further back. Alonso said, "Let's see for Brentford, but unluckily not at the moment to take risks with him. Not yet, we are not there yet." Football.london reported that Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Reece James all missed the first part of Tuesday's training session, while Henderson was involved with his teammates at Cobham.

That leaves Chelsea with a familiar problem and a familiar opponent. They have not won at the Gtech Community Stadium since 2021, and Brentford are not offering many comfort signs either ahead of Friday's game. Alonso's point is not that Chelsea are finished, only that they are still a work in progress. Brentford vs Chelsea is the next chance to prove the defensive fixes are real.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →