Alonso admits Chelsea must improve after derby defeat

Xabi Alonso conceded that his Chelsea side lacked the necessary mentality and consistency after slipping to a 3-0 defeat against Brentford.

The Blues fell behind to a well-executed set-piece routine and struggled to regain a foothold as the hosts took control after the interval.

Manager Alonso admitted his team failed to maintain the required standards.

“We have dropped our consistency, our competitive mentality needed in the second half,” Alonso said.

“The small details can be decisive. You don’t have to give an advantage in this kind of game where they do with little and get a lot.

“We need to [improve] not just [on] set pieces, but in defensive duels, in build-up, in control of games.

“When you lose shape, you are out of control. It’s a process, it takes time for them to feel it, and at the moment we are not feeling it fully to compete for the whole game.”

Asked if the comprehensive defeat highlights the scale of the task at Stamford Bridge, the Blues boss insisted he remains realistic about the rebuilding phase.

“We knew that it’s a process that is still five games in, and in a competitive Premier League each game is really hard, and we knew that it was going to be hard, so it’s nothing new,” he added.