Levi Colwill slams Chelsea's 'not good enough' display as Brentford humble Xabi Alonso's Blues

Chelsea's defensive frailties were ruthlessly punished as Brentford claimed an emphatic 3-0 victory in the west London derby. Following a goalless first half, Jaidon Anthony broke the deadlock from a corner before late counter-attacks allowed Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho to seal the rout. The heavy defeat leaves Alonso winless in three Premier League games, with his side drawing a blank for the first time this season.

Colwill pulled no punches about Chelsea's defensive collapse at the Gtech Community Stadium. Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, the England defender criticised the squad's loss of shape and discipline while pushing forward.

Addressing the second-half display, he said: "It was tough. Firstly conceding a set piece was not the best, we tried to push and maybe overexposed ourselves, played some passes we shouldn't and they hit us on the counter, and got the second goal and the third goal hit home and hurt. Second half we weren't good enough and we have a lot to work on in the international break."

Chelsea's defensive frailties were once again laid bare as they conceded their fifth goal from a set piece already this season. Pointing to their struggles inside the penalty area, Colwill admitted: "Not been good enough. At times we have been bullied in the box, we need to definitely improve with that. We have got all trust in our set piece coach and still adjusting to new things. We do need to improve as a team."

He insisted the entire squad must take collective responsibility rather than relying solely on the attack to bail them out: "I don't think spirit went down. It hurt and we tried to push for equaliser and we got hit on the counter attack. I don't think our spirit dropped. We still need to improve a lot. We can't rely on our front three to pull us out of danger. The rest of us have to help as much as possible. We definitely have a lot of room to improve."

Alonso became just the sixth manager in Premier League history to see his team concede two or more goals in his opening five games. The upcoming three-week international break provides Chelsea with essential time to organise a backline that has already shipped 12 goals this season. The Blues will look to reset when they travel to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on October 10.