Chelsea
Rosenior Stands By Enzo Fernández Amid Suspension and Questions Over Comments
Rosenior insists his relationship with Enzo Fernández is strong despite the suspension at Port Vale.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior moved to reassure the club’s supporters and the player himself after Enzo Fernández was left out in the build-up to the FA Cup tie with Port Vale. The midfielder watched the 7–0 defeat from the sidelines, and Rosenior insisted his working relationship with Fernández remains intact.
“I made it really clear yesterday what I think of him as a person. He’s a top, top guy,” Rosenior said, adding: “In the right time, in the right moment—which isn’t now, going through what we’ve gone through—I’m sure the discussion will happen in terms of what’s been said between me and Enzo. Enzo and I are in a very good place. I saw him today, had a really good conversation with him today one-to-one, and things aren’t what people maybe think they are.”
Rosenior was at pains to stress he was not the driving force behind what the club described as a “joint decision” to sideline Fernández. The manager underlined that Fernández came to watch and spoke with him directly before the match.
The player’s agent, former Argentina international Javier Pastore, publicly defended Fernández after the suspension was announced. Pastore said he received “no real reason or justification” for a punishment he called “far too harsh.” Pastore pointed to Fernández’s comments about living in Spain, quoting the midfielder: “I’d like to live in Spain, I really like Madrid; it reminds me of Buenos Aires. Players live where they want. I’d live in Madrid. I get by in English, but I’d be more comfortable in Spanish.” Pastore added: “He only mentions Madrid, the city, because he was asked which European city he’d like to live in one day, and he said Madrid because of the language, because it’s similar to Buenos Aires and because it’s logical—it’s only natural for an Argentine to say that—and also because of the culture, the weather … but at no point does he say he wants to leave Chelsea or London.”
Fernández has also left the door open to a potential summer transfer when asked about Real Madrid in other interviews.
Responding to Pastore, Rosenior said: “That’s his opinion. I don’t have anything to say on someone else’s opinion. Enzo knows what I think of him and it was brilliant to see him here to support the players today.”
By omitting Fernández, Rosenior lost the squad’s second-top scorer, leading assist provider and vice captain. With first-choice skipper Reece James out injured, Rosenior appointed Cole Palmer as captain for the match and praised him: “I think it’s a natural step for Cole where he is in his career. He shows leadership. You have different types of leadership. You have players who talk, who organize.
“What Cole does and where he leads is he’s so brave and he’ll take the ball on the pitch. And if he makes a mistake, he’ll take the ball and be positive again. That reflects what I want in this team. I felt Cole led the team magnificently in the game today.”
Chelsea
Chelsea’s defensive start leaves Alonso in unwanted company
Chelsea’s early defensive record under Xabi Alonso has joined an unwanted Premier League list.
Chelsea’s early-season defensive troubles have placed Xabi Alonso in notable but unwelcome territory after the Brentford defeat.
The Chelsea manager has become only the sixth boss in Premier League history to see his team concede at least twice in each of their first five matches. Across those five league games, Chelsea have already shipped 12 goals, the worst defensive return in the division going into Saturday’s fixtures.
That puts Alonso alongside a short list of managers whose sides struggled badly from the outset. The figures show just how steep the problem has been:
Terry Connor conceded 16 goals, Sammy Lee and Scott Parker both conceded 13, Alonso and Slaviša Jokanović each conceded 12, and Mick McCarthy conceded 10.
There are, however, clear reasons why Chelsea have been so exposed. Alonso has been operating without Moisés Caicedo and Marco Palestra through injury, while captain Reece James was also unavailable against Brentford. Those absences have weakened the structure, although they cannot fully explain everything on their own.
One recurring issue has been defending set pieces. Jaidon Anthony’s opener on Friday marked the sixth time Chelsea have conceded from a dead-ball situation this season, which is already the highest such total in the league. Austin MacPhee was brought in during the summer as set-piece coach, but recent episodes suggest the work is still far from settled.
Chelsea’s switch to a back three has also not provided the expected protection. Rather than tightening things up, it has looked awkward and has left space for opponents to exploit.
The wider picture matters too. Since the start of 2026, no Premier League team has conceded more than Chelsea’s 43 goals. Alonso’s 12 in five games sit on top of a problem that predates him, with Liam Rosenior and Calum McFarlane having already overseen 31 goals conceded in 19 matches before his arrival.
Maxence Lacroix has arrived from Crystal Palace to strengthen the defence, but there is still a sense that Chelsea need more experience at the back to steady the unit.
Chelsea
Alonso identifies Chelsea’s problems after Brentford defeat
Alonso warned Chelsea need patience after a Brentford loss exposed their consistency, mentality and control.
Xabi Alonso asked for patience after one of the most difficult nights of his early Chelsea reign, but his post-match assessment made clear how many issues he believes remain unresolved.
Speaking after the loss at the Gtech Community Stadium, Alonso admitted that Chelsea have lost consistency and have yet to produce a full 90 minutes that he can trust. He said the side has struggled to sustain performance either within matches or from one weekend to the next, and that against Brentford they never established a spell in control.
The game itself was tight for an hour, with both teams pressing forward quickly after turnovers and then giving the ball back. Once Brentford scored, Chelsea collapsed badly. Alonso pointed first to mentality, saying: “We have dropped our consistency,” and adding that there was a lack of the “competitive mentality needed in the second half” from his side.
He also accepted that set-piece defending remains a problem, though he stressed it is only one part of a wider picture. Since the start of last season, Chelsea have conceded 22 set-piece goals, more than any other Premier League team.
Alonso also highlighted duels and ball progression as areas that need work. On the day, Chelsea actually came out well in the physical contests, winning 59% of ground duels and 53% in the air, but that did not translate into control. With the ball, Chelsea were slow and flat, and their 116 passes between Henderson and Barco never led into Brentford’s box.
The lack of threat became even more obvious after Chelsea fell behind in the 61st minute. They finished with 80% possession across the final half-hour, yet did not force a save from Caoimhin Kelleher.
Alonso said the team must learn how to hold shape when under pressure, and Chelsea’s failure in rest defense was underlined by Brentford’s second goal. Alonso said it was an area he had already worked on with the squad before the visit to Hounslow.
Brentford
Brentford Expose Chelsea’s Frailties in a Flat Evening Under Alonso
Brentford’s discipline and Chelsea’s injuries exposed deeper flaws in Alonso’s side at the Gtech.
Brentford served up a blunt reminder that Chelsea’s early-season attacking numbers need context. For long spells, Keith Andrews’ side reduced the visitors to predictable, low-yield football and forced a performance that lacked control, rhythm and penetration.
The home team offered little decoration, but plenty of discipline. Built on organisation, recruitment and a tightly managed structure, Brentford made Chelsea look one-dimensional for most of the first hour. The Blues had arrived as one of only two Premier League sides to begin the weekend with double-digit goals, yet much of that threat had come from counterattacks and set pieces. No team had produced a larger share of shots from fast breaks than Chelsea’s 22.7% going into the round.
Against Brentford’s compact shape, though, there was no room to breathe. Chelsea ended the match with an open play xG of just 0.58 and forced Caoimhin Kelleher into only two comfortable saves. Their routes forward repeatedly broke down, often ending with hopeful clearances from the left side rather than sustained attacking patterns.
The visitors also lost an early advantage. It was the first time they had failed to score in the opening seven minutes of a Premier League match under Alonso, removing a key chance to settle the contest quickly.
João Pedro’s absence was felt sharply. Alonso had described him as the player who ties the attack together, and the comparison to Karim Benzema underlined his importance. Danny Welbeck worked hard in his place but did not manage a shot, leaving Chelsea short of a central reference point. Pedro’s return should help, but the issues looked deeper than one injury.
At the other end, Chelsea’s defensive problems remained unresolved. For the sixth straight match against Premier League opposition, Alonso’s side conceded at least three goals.
The midfield pairing of Valentín Barco and Jordan Henderson brought more intensity early on, but it did not last. Henderson tried to organise those around him throughout, while Barco drew a hostile response. The energy faded after the hour, and with it Chelsea’s resistance.
