Spanish media pull no punches with Xabi Alonso after Chelsea defeat – 'Another shipwreck'

Chelsea were demolished 3-0 by Brentford on Friday evening and manager Xabi Alonso has incurred the wrath of the media in Spain

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been picked apart by the Spanish media after his side were beaten 3-0 by Brentford. The Blues have now failed to win any of their last three Premier League matches despite beginning the campaign with two impressive victories.

Former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen manager Alonso arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer hoping to turn things around and, backed by around £280million of spending and the marquee arrival of Morgan Rogers, appeared to be on course as the top-flight term began.

A 3-2 triumph over Fulham got Chelsea off to the perfect start and a 4-3 win against Brighton followed. But since then, they've been beaten by Arsenal 2-1, held 2-2 at home by Hull City and hammered on the road by Brentford.

Their trip to the Gtech Community Stadium, for which Alonso rung the changes, ended in disaster. After a cagey and hard-fought first half, Jaidon Anthony opened the scoring on the hour mark for the Bees. Igor Thiago extended the advantage in the 83rd minute and Fabio Carvalho's second-half stoppage-time strike sealed the win.

Chelsea are only five games into the season, have started relatively well and performed impressively in the Carabao Cup. But that hasn't stopped the media in Alonso's home country from hitting the panic button after their latest loss, with one publication describing the result as a "shipwreck."

AS

The Blues have conceded a whopping 12 goals in the Premier League so far this season, though they still sit on an adequate seven points. AS, though, have been left unconvinced with their Spanish head coach after the Brentford defeat.

Its report reads: "What a disaster. Alonso was found out at the Gtech Community Stadium. His inability to abandon an initial, utterly inadequate plan and approach that failed to function within 75 minutes condemned Chelsea.

"It's also difficult to understand why, after investing heavily, Welbeck at 35 and the conversion of Rogers to a centre-forward were the only attacking solutions offered by the Blues in the absence of the injured Joao Pedro.

"This Chelsea side resembled Liam Rosenior's team far more than Alonso's Leverkusen. Brentford handed a resounding and deserved defeat to a soporific, harmless and indolent Chelsea side.

"The slump experienced by these Blues, who started the season looking fearsome, is significant. This humiliating defeat, all too soon, brings back memories of not-so-distant times."

SPORT

"Another shipwreck for Xabi Alonso's Chelsea," was SPORT's headline as it reported on Friday's top-flight clash. It continued: "There's no way to salvage Alonso's Chelsea, who are falling apart at the seams.

"The worst part isn't the results, but rather the feeling that the team doesn't know what it's doing. It happened again at the Bees' home ground, where they [Brentford] snatched victory thanks to three decisive strikes against a defence that continues to fall short.

"The start of the season, with consecutive victories against Fulham and Brighton, had raised the fans' hopes. However, since then, results have gone in the opposite direction. The first alarm bells are starting to ring at Stamford Bridge, although Alonso's job is not yet in danger."

Marca

The slightly more forgiving Marca opted for the headline: "Xabi Alonso's Chelsea just can't seem to get going." It then added: "It wasn't an easy match against a consistent Brentford side, who were only one point behind the Blues.

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"The first half was characterised by a lack of chances for both teams. Brentford started stronger but Chelsea improved somewhat, with Cole Palmer and Rogers leading the charge. Even so, the most notable aspect was Alonso's frustration on the touchline, as goals were scarce.

"Brentford scored in the 61st minute and the match was becoming increasingly difficult for Chelsea. Alonso's response was to bring on Josh Acheampong and Geovany Quenda in the 70th minute. It was an unusual starting eleven, lacking a true centre-forward to lead the attack."