Chelsea have conceded 12 goals in the Premier League so far this season, with half of them coming from set-pieces.
We now live in an era where every Premier League club has a dedicated set-piece coach, but in true Chelsea fashion, the Blues went for one of the most recognisable names in the game.
Austin MacPhee arrived from Aston Villa in the summer, a move that was viewed as a positive addition after Chelsea conceded the most goals from set-pieces in the latter half of last season.
However, the problems from last season have followed Chelsea into the new campaign. Five games in, set-pieces remain a major weakness, with five of the 12 goals conceded coming from dead-ball situations. One that turned the Brentford game into a disappointing evening
Of the five set-piece goals Chelsea have conceded, I want to focus on the first against Brentford and question whether the blame lies with the set-piece coaching or the players failing to recognise the danger developing at the back post.
For the goal, Wesley Fofana and Maxence Lacroix were responsible for the zonal marking, with only goalscorer Jaidon Anthony positioned nearby. The danger was fairly obvious, with Brentford’s two centre-backs and Kevin Schade all lining up at the back post. Yet there was little reaction from Chelsea as the ball was delivered.
Instead, Morgan Rogers and Valentin Barco, one of the smallest players on the pitch, were left to deal with the danger. Both were beaten, allowing a header across the six-yard box to find Anthony, who had drifted away from the central defenders and was left completely unmarked to score.
Shocking on all fronts from the defensive aspects. Why were they not prepared? Aggressive in the duels and wanting to win that first contact?
Brentford are known for their height and aerial threat, particularly with Kristoffer Ajer, so leaving him unmarked raises questions about the set-piece organisation. The two smallest players, Valentin Barco and Pep Chavarria, were assigned to man-marking duties, which ultimately falls under the responsibility of MacPhee and his coaching setup.
Now, I’m not a qualified football coach with a pro licence, just someone with several years of Football Manager experience, but even I could see the danger from my sofa, relying solely on the Sky Sports camera angles.
As evidenced above, it is difficult to pinpoint where the fault lies. Perhaps Xabi Alonso is right: everyone needs to take responsibility as a collective.
From an attacking perspective, things look more promising. Aston Villa ranked fourth in the league for set-piece goals last season, so hopefully those positives will start to come through for Chelsea sooner rather than later.
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