Chelsea cannot depend on their attacking trio of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and Joao Pedro throughout the entire season and should utilize the international break to enhance their overall team dynamics.
This perspective comes from defender Levi Colwill, who acknowledged the team’s need for improvement following a disheartening 3-0 derby loss to Brentford on Friday.
Goals from Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago, and Fabio Carvalho led to a disappointing defeat for Chelsea at the Gtech Community Stadium, leaving Xabi Alonso’s squad without a win in their last three Premier League matches (D1 L2).
Initially, the start of the season under Alonso was promising, highlighted by impressive high-scoring victories over Fulham (3-2) and Brighton (4-3).
Joao Pedro, absent from Friday’s match due to a knee injury, has contributed six times in the Premier League this season (three goals and three assists), while Palmer (two goals, two assists) and Rogers (three goals, one assist) have tallied four contributions each.
Out of 10 goals scored by Chelsea in the Premier League this season, only one—Romeo Lavia’s goal in the match against Brighton—did not involve at least one of those three players as either a scorer or an assister.
However, Colwill believes that the rest of the team must elevate their performance during the three-week break.
“We can’t solely rely on the front three to save us; the rest of us need to contribute as much as we can,” he stated on the club’s website.
“The defense, the midfield, and the attackers need to support each other more effectively. There’s certainly a lot of improvement needed.”
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— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 19, 2026
With 12 goals conceded, Chelsea holds the record for the most goals allowed among Premier League teams as they head into the weekend, having surrendered at least two goals in all five of their matches under Alonso.
The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager has now become the sixth to achieve this disappointing milestone, joining the ranks of Mick McCarthy, Sammy Lee, Terry Connor, Slavisa Jokanovic, and Scott Parker.
“It was tough,” Colwill reflected. “Conceding from a set-piece is always frustrating, and in trying to push forward, we perhaps left ourselves vulnerable and attempted some risky passes that we shouldn’t have made.
“We needed to stay composed and trust that the equalizer would come if we played our game, but we pressed too hard and were hit on the counterattack. Their second goal and the third goal were particularly damaging.”
“In the second half, we fell short and clearly have a lot to address during the international break.”
Chelsea’s upcoming match is a home game against Bournemouth on October 10, followed by an away trip to Everton the following week.
Fan Take: This news is significant for soccer fans as it highlights Chelsea’s struggles, reflecting broader issues within the team dynamics that could impact their season performance. For supporters, understanding these challenges can shape their expectations and enhance discussions about the club’s strategy and the abilities of their new manager.
Source: www.soccernews.com
