Carvalho: Chelsea's Problem Is Defending Set-Pieces

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My forehead's bigger than your forehead! Compatriots Ricardo Carvalho of Chelsea and United's Cristiano Ronaldo face-off during their Premier Legaue clash (PA)

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In a direct statement, Ricardo Carvalho has identified Chelsea's major weakness this season as being the frequency with which they've been  conceding goals from set-pieces.

Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic headed the first of United's goals in their 3-0 win over the Pensioners at Old Trafford yesterday, and Dimitar Berbatov's third also resulted from a free-kick. Carvalho knows that something needs to be done about this, and quickly.

"We are conceding too many goals from set-pieces," the Portuguese told Chelsea TV.

"We have to mark our men and this time we didn't mark our men, and goal after goal it is getting worse for us. Every game we find a player who was supposed to mark his man and doesn't.

"So we have to work for this, think about it and stick together for the next games. We have to be together and play as a team, now we have to look at ouselves and we have to improve."

Taking responsibility for their performances seemed to be the central theme of Carvalho's words, and the defender, who has two Premier League winners' medals to show for his time at Stamford Bridge, knows that true champions hold their hands up and admit when they've performed below their best.

"Our mistake was the corner and we conceded a goal in the last minute of the first half, after that it was difficult to react," Carvalho went on.

"We tried but the second goal killed us. We have to forget a little bit and come together and try and treat the problem, because we can do much better.

"It is our responsibility as well, we have to improve and be professional and mark our men and play better than we are playing."

Carvalho and his team-mates will have to improve their set-piece play very quickly. Next up for the Blues are Stoke City, who are renowned for the aerial bombardment to which they subject teams, and who held Liverpool to a goalless draw on Saturday.

Zack Wilson, Goal.com