No Premier League team has conceded more goals than Chelsea this season. Xabi Alonso's side have conceded twelve goals in five games, letting in at least two in every one of them. Bournemouth visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday 10 October at 16.00.
The numbers point to an unbalanced team, not a toothless one. Chelsea have scored ten goals, as many as Brentford. Only Brighton and Manchester City have scored more. Yet Chelsea sit tenth with seven points, eight behind City.
Five games, twelve goals conceded
Chelsea won 3–2 away at Fulham on the opening weekend and 4–3 at home to Brighton. Those results were followed by a 2–1 defeat away at Arsenal, a 2–2 draw at home to Hull and a 3–0 defeat away at Brentford on Friday 18 September.
The defeat in the west London derby offered the clearest picture yet. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have now gone 22 consecutive league games without keeping a clean sheet. The team have conceded four goals from set pieces in their last five league games and 23 since the start of last season, the joint-worst record in the league. Sky Sports calculates that Chelsea concede an average of 2.2 expected goals per game, roughly the same as the number they actually let in.
Without Moisés Caicedo in midfield, Chelsea were vulnerable in the middle of the park against Brentford. Alonso made no secret of what he felt was missing.
“You have to feel it. We don't feel it.”
He highlighted duels, build-up play and control of the game as areas where the team must improve, and said Chelsea lost their stability and the competitive mindset the second half demanded.
Centre-back Levi Colwill was even more forthright. He told BBC Sport that Chelsea perhaps left themselves too exposed, played passes they should not have played and were punished on the counter-attack. On set pieces, he was blunt:
“We were pushed around in the box, and we absolutely have to improve on that.”
Alonso said after the match that the international break at least gives him time with some of the players. He does not have his full squad to choose from either. Cole Palmer, Reece James, João Pedro, Caicedo and Marco Palestra are listed as doubtful on the Premier League's injury list ahead of Matchweek 6, as we reported in Tuesday's injury round-up.
Bournemouth as a benchmark
The opponents after the break are a team struggling themselves. Bournemouth are 17th with three points and have yet to win a league game. They have scored six goals in five matches and lost their last game 1–0 at home to Liverpool.
For Alonso, the match is an opportunity to show that the defence can keep things tight. If Chelsea cannot keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, the run will extend to 23 games. At the same time, the table shows that they are only two points off fourth place.