By Daniel Cross | Football Writer, Sportspherearena
Football writer covering match reports and long-form features across the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Champions League and global tournaments.
Chelsea have a problem that is no longer subtle.
They cannot defend set-pieces.
After five Premier League games they have already conceded 12 goals — the worst record in the division. Four of those 12 have come directly from set-pieces. That is not bad luck. That is a structural failure.
The latest example arrived on Friday night at Brentford. Jaidon Anthony scored the opening goal with a free header from a corner. The marking was static. The goalkeeper stayed on his line. The ball was allowed to travel across the six-yard box without a challenge. It was the fourth set-piece goal Chelsea have conceded this season and it arrived in the same week they had already been punished from dead-ball situations against other sides.
Xabi Alonso arrived at Stamford Bridge with a reputation for organisation and control. His Bayer Leverkusen side were rarely this soft. Yet in west London the same issues keep repeating: poor starting positions, delayed reactions, and a lack of aggression when the ball is in the air.
The Numbers Tell a Clear Story
Chelsea have conceded 23 goals from set-pieces since the start of last season. No Premier League side has a worse record over that period. This season the problem has accelerated. Four goals from set-pieces in five matches is a rate that, if maintained, would leave them among the most vulnerable sides in the league by Christmas.
The breakdown is simple:
- Corners are the biggest issue.
- Free-kicks into the box are the second.
- Long throws are beginning to appear as a third threat.
Against Brentford the first goal came from a corner. The second and third goals arrived in open play, but the damage had already been done. Once Chelsea fell behind, their structure collapsed. That pattern has repeated. Conceding the first goal from a set-piece removes their ability to control the game.
Expected goals data underlines the problem. Chelsea are allowing high-quality chances from dead balls. The shots they face from set-pieces carry a higher conversion rate than the shots they face in open play. In short, opponents know where to hurt them and keep going to the same place.
Why the Problem Exists
There are three clear reasons.
1. Starting positions are too passive
Chelsea’s defenders often begin set-pieces too deep or too narrow. When the ball is delivered, they are already on the back foot. The best defensive teams start higher and attack the ball. Chelsea wait for the ball to come to them. That split-second delay is enough for an attacker to get across their man.
2. Individual marking is inconsistent
Some players track runners. Others ball-watch. Against Brentford, Jannik Schuster was allowed a free run to the near post and headed the ball across goal. Anthony finished unmarked. Similar scenes have appeared in earlier matches. When one player loses concentration, the entire structure fails.
3. Goalkeeper positioning and decision-making
Robert Sánchez and the alternatives have been reluctant to leave their line. On several occasions the ball has been allowed to travel across the six-yard box without a claim or a punch. Modern goalkeepers are expected to dominate their area on set-pieces. Chelsea’s keepers have not done that consistently.
These are not temporary issues. They have survived the change of manager. Alonso inherited a side that already struggled with set-pieces. He has not yet fixed them.
The Brentford Example Was Textbook
Brentford do not need complex routines. They use height, timing and simple movement. On the first goal, Mikkel Damsgaard delivered the corner. Schuster attacked the near post. Anthony waited at the far post. Chelsea’s marking was flat. No one stepped out to challenge the first header. No one tracked the second runner.
The goal was preventable. It was also predictable. Brentford had already shown they would target the far post. Chelsea did not adjust.
Later in the game Chelsea switched to a back four while chasing the game. The shape became even more open. When Kevin Schade broke forward, the defensive line was stretched. Igor Thiago scored the second. Fabio Carvalho added the third. The set-piece goal had opened the door. The rest followed.
Historical Context Makes It Worse
Chelsea’s set-piece problems did not begin under Alonso. Last season they ranked among the worst sides in the league for goals conceded from dead balls. The club even brought in specialist coaches in previous windows to address the issue. The results have not followed.
Other teams have shown it is possible to improve quickly. Arsenal transformed their set-piece record under a dedicated coach. Brentford themselves turned long throws and corners into a genuine weapon. Chelsea have spent heavily on players and staff yet remain vulnerable in the same areas.
The contrast is sharp. Brentford, with a fraction of Chelsea’s budget, look organised and aggressive on both sides of the set-piece. Chelsea look hesitant.
What Alonso Must Change
The solutions are not mysterious.
- Start higher and attack the ball.
- Assign clear man-marking responsibilities and hold players accountable when they lose their man.
- Demand that the goalkeeper claims or punches more aggressively.
- Practice the same situations until the reactions become automatic.
Alonso has spoken about needing the team to “feel it.” Feeling it starts with the basics. A team that cannot defend a corner will always be fragile, no matter how talented the attackers are.
The attacking side of Chelsea’s game has its own questions, especially with João Pedro injured. But the defensive side is more urgent. Twelve goals conceded in five matches is not sustainable. Four of those from set-pieces is a red flag that every opponent can see.
The Wider Picture
Chelsea sit in the bottom half of the table on defensive metrics. Their xG against is high. Their clean-sheet count is zero. The international break gives Alonso time to work on the details, but the next domestic fixture against Bournemouth will arrive quickly. Bournemouth are organised and dangerous from dead balls. Another set-piece concession would turn a difficult start into a genuine crisis.
Brentford’s win was not an isolated result. It was the latest evidence of a pattern. Chelsea can dominate the ball and still lose because they cannot control the moments that decide matches. Set-pieces are supposed to be the most controllable part of the game. Right now they are Chelsea’s biggest weakness.
Until that changes, every opponent will keep loading the box and waiting for the same mistakes.
Chelsea have conceded four set-piece goals in five Premier League matches this season.
No side has a worse record for set-piece goals conceded since the start of last season.
The problem is structural: passive starting positions, inconsistent marking, and hesitant goalkeeping.
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