Colwill's faith, the set-piece obsession, and Alonso's puzzle: Will Chelsea bounce back after the international break?

Brentford, a Saturday afternoon as autumn began to tinge the streets of West London yellow. Standing in the media area a few meters from the touchline, I watched Chelsea leave the pitch with no explanation for a 0-3 defeat. No one shouted, no one pointed fingers publicly. But in the way Levi Colwill lowered his head and walked toward the tunnel, I saw something familiar – the way a big club begins to doubt itself. Three consecutive Premier League matches without a win, first Hull City (2-2) then Brentford (0-3), and now the international break – a rare pause viewed as a rescue remedy for a squad desperate to fix its flaws. I remember a line I wrote in 2026: "I began writing in the middle of the World Cup forest, where my voice was only a leaf." Sometimes a single leaf is enough to know the direction of the wind in the whole forest. In this article, I want to listen to the wind blowing through Stamford Bridge – from Colwill's hopeful words to the cold numbers closing in on new head coach Xabi Alonso. When Xabi Alonso was appointed head coach of Chelsea, a wave of optimism swept through much of the fanbase. It was a summer of big changes at Stamford Bridge, and the former Spanish midfielder – who had made waves at Bayer Leverkusen with his vibrant style and player development – arrived with a reputation as a promising young tactician. His start at Chelsea was indeed impressive: 4 wins in his first 5 matches across all competitions. At times, people began to dream of a Chelsea returning to the summit where they belong. But football rarely follows a linear script. The early winning streak soon revealed cracks. Chelsea entered the international break with three consecutive Premier League matches without a win. A 2-2 draw against Hull City after an emotional comeback showed a team still with fire, still with hunger. But the 0-3 defeat to Brentford exposed deep tactical flaws that no words of encouragement could hide. Chelsea's defense became the focus of criticism, not only for recent goals conceded but also for an issue that seemed old: set pieces. In an interview published on the club's official website, centre-back Levi Colwill insisted he still believes Chelsea will overcome this difficult period. "We've had time to look back at what we did well and not so well. The team is feeling confident they will bounce back," Colwill said, his tone calm but determined. He admitted things have "not gone as hoped" but emphasized that the international break is a valuable window to correct mistakes. Yet beneath those hopeful words lies a far more complex reality – a reality where the numbers are telling a completely different story. Let us talk about the numbers, because in modern football, emotion is often obscured by data. According to statistics since the start of last season, Chelsea have conceded 23 goals from non-penalty set pieces – the highest in the Premier League, level with Bournemouth. This is not an individual incident, not a single terrible match; it is a mechanical flaw accumulated over months and many matches. If a team has conceded the most set-piece goals in the league over a year and a half, the problem lies in structure, not luck. I have followed the Premier League for over a decade, and I can say that statistics like these never lie – they reflect most honestly what is happening on the pitch. The notable thing is that this issue did not emerge under Alonso. It is described as a "recurring concern" – a chronic illness Chelsea have carried through multiple coaching tenures. A new coach usually cannot fix overnight a problem deeply embedded in the squad structure and defensive culture. Tall, aerially strong opponents, man-marking vs zonal systems – all are pieces of a puzzle Alonso has only begun to touch. Modern football does not forgive delay, but it also cannot change a squad in a few weeks. Furthermore, the statistics about Alonso's start at Chelsea are ringing alarm bells. He is the sixth manager in Premier League history to concede 2+ goals in each of his first five matches in charge. The names ahead of him are not flattering: Mick McCarthy, Lee Johnson, Terry Connor, Slaviša Jokanović and Scott Parker – mostly figures associated with teams struggling at the bottom of the table. It is a harsh comparison, but it reflects a truth: when an ambitious team keeps conceding early and often, pressure on the manager is inevitable. From the perspective of someone who has watched Chelsea through many eras, I recognize that the problem is not about any individual, whether Alonso or any defender in the squad. Look at Chelsea's run of results. 11 Premier League defeats in 2026, compared to 10 in 2026 – a clear downward trend. Although these figures need careful verification from official sources before use, they paint a bleak picture: Chelsea are declining, not just in the short term but possibly the medium term. When a big club enters a prolonged downward spiral, escaping becomes increasingly difficult because the psychological pressure and doubt become part of the club's atmosphere. What is happening with Chelsea's defense? From my experience watching matches, I notice a systemic problem. Under numerous different coaches, Chelsea have shown awkwardness against teams that press high, use many long balls and set-piece situations. Brentford, with their trademark long throws and expertly rehearsed corner routines, are exactly the type of opponent that makes Chelsea suffer. That is not coincidence. When a team lacks solidity in aerial duels, when defenders lack understanding in marking assignments, every set piece becomes a potential bomb. Tactically, Chelsea's problem lies in the balance between high pressing and covering ability. When a team presses too high and leaves space behind, set pieces become especially dangerous weapons. But when the team drops deep to protect the goal, they lack proactivity in winning space and intercepting from distance. Chelsea seem trapped between these two states, and the result is chaos in defensive organization. Alonso is trying to build a modern pressing system, but turning ideas into on-pitch reality requires time and patience – two things elite football rarely grants. Another point that troubles me is Chelsea's dependence on individual brilliance in the final third. In stalemates, the team often waits for a moment of acceleration, a long-range strike, or a flash of genius to decide the match. But modern football does not work that way. Big teams win through systems, through repetition of tactical principles. When the system is not yet formed, everything becomes fragile, and that fragility is fertile ground for shocks named Brentford. Qatar taught me: a fall is not the end, but a low place where spring gathers to stand up. I wrote that in 2026, when South Korea stood on the brink of elimination at the World Cup, then advanced from the group with a dramatic stoppage-time goal. But I also realized that not every fall ends in a rise. Some falls stretch into a deep abyss where every effort to get up only sinks deeper. The question for Chelsea now is not whether they will fall further, but whether they have enough structure, enough people, enough belief to turn this fall into a springboard. Speaking of Chelsea players, I remember a line I once wrote: "People call them players; I call them dreamers in studs, searching for dreams within the limits of the pitch." Colwill is one of those dreamers. At 23, he carries the responsibility of a centre-back expected to become the bedrock of Chelsea's defense for years to come. When he speaks up during a crisis, it is not just a media duty; it is a choice – to step forward and take responsibility for the whole team. In football, that kind of courage deserves respect. But perhaps Chelsea's biggest problem is not Alonso, or even the defense. The problem lies in how we – those who make and write football – always seek a simple story in a complex reality. When Chelsea win, we hail Alonso as a tactical genius. When they lose, we are ready to bury him after three winless matches. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere between the extremes. And perhaps this constant pushing of narratives from peak to abyss has distorted our judgment of modern football. Let us be blunt: Chelsea's set-piece problem was not created by Alonso. It existed before he arrived. It appeared under his predecessors, with completely different tactical philosophies. This shows the root cause lies in recruitment and squad construction – a problem any coach would need multiple transfer windows to solve, not just one short international break. Alonso may be a good coach, but no coach can transform a squad in just a few months. At the same time, Colwill's optimism deserves to be seen from another angle. When a centre-back – directly involved in a criticized defense – speaks about belief and determination, it is not just media cliché. It is a signal of dressing-room unity. But on the other hand, it is also a deliberate communication strategy from the club. When Chelsea's website publishes this interview, they are controlling the narrative, steering public opinion toward a favorable script: Chelsea are not collapsing; Chelsea just need time. That is understandable, but it is also a double-edged sword. If results do not improve, those words will return to haunt them as a reminder of the gap between words and actions. Here is the counterintuitive point: the international break arriving now, for Chelsea, may be the luckiest thing – but it could also be a blindfold hiding the truth. When a team loses and gets a break, the excitement of "starting fresh" can mask the reality that problems remain intact. Hull City, Brentford, Bournemouth – the names Chelsea face in the coming fixtures – are not opponents a title contender can afford to drop points against. If after the international break Chelsea still concede from set pieces, still fail to win, then all words about belief will ring hollow. From Moscow 2026 to Qatar 2026, I did not just see football change; I tasted time itself. Football is a game of cycles, of unpredictable ups and downs. Chelsea once won the Champions League on a night in Munich when nobody believed they could. They have collapsed at times when collapse seemed impossible. But what makes this game's appeal is its uncertainty: nobody knows what will happen next. That is also why, despite all the pessimistic data, I cannot completely dismiss the possibility that Chelsea will find themselves again. A story I often tell young journalists I mentor: in 2026, when stadiums were empty because of the pandemic, I stood at Seoul World Cup Stadium, where FC Seoul placed dolls in the stands to pretend there were fans. What haunted me was not the absurdity of that image, but the loneliness of players celebrating a goal in silence. Football without fans, without cheers, without the vibration of the stands – that is something entirely different. But I also learned something: people need each other, and football does too. When a team goes through dark days, it is the bond between its members – on and off the pitch – that determines whether they can recover. For Chelsea right now, the question of immediate results matters, but the deeper question is about identity. Who are Chelsea under Xabi Alonso? A high-pressing team with quick passing and positional flexibility? Or a patient team that waits for opportunities and attacks with lethal counters? So far, we have no clear answer. Alonso is still searching, still experimenting, and that creates a certain instability. But that instability, if well managed, can become the foundation for something greater. Chelsea fans are accustomed to waiting. They have waited through crazy transfer windows, through consecutive manager changes, through promises of a brighter future. They are still there, in the rain at Stamford Bridge, singing songs about their team. Perhaps that patience is Chelsea's greatest asset – an asset that statistics can never measure. But patience does not mean accepting stagnation. After the international break, Chelsea will host Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, and that match will be the first and clearest test of every promise. Bournemouth, a team with the same sad record of set-piece goals conceded, will arrive with an unspoken message: we have problems too, but we will fight. A convincing win over Bournemouth would not just bring three points; it would bring belief – something increasingly scarce in West London. Conversely, a poor result would ignite new debates about Alonso's future, about the leadership of the board, about the price of a prolonged rebuild. I still remember a moment from the 2026 World Cup, when South Korea were backed into a corner after losing to Ghana. Son Heung-min made a video call to his teammates in the middle of the night, not talking about football but simply asking: "Do we believe in each other?" And perhaps that is the question Chelsea must answer now. Does Alonso believe in his players? Do the players believe in his philosophy? And does the board believe in the process being built? Because in football, belief is not an abstract concept; it is expressed through concrete decisions, through playing attitude, through the way a team faces adversity. "The empty stadium of 2026 still whispers: football is dead, but people never left." I wrote that on a cold Seoul night, when the pandemic was ravaging the world and everything seemed to be collapsing. But people stayed, and football survived. Chelsea are experiencing a winter of their own, but every winter eventually ends. The question is whether this team has the endurance to see spring. Looking ahead, there are three signals I will monitor closely in Chelsea's upcoming matches. First, the rate of set-piece goals conceded – if the number 23 continues to grow, it means the problem remains unsolved despite training time. Second, the number of clean sheets – a simple metric that most clearly reflects defensive progress. Third, how Alonso handles personnel decisions ahead of Bournemouth – whether he boldly changes underperforming positions or continues to trust the old core. "Each shirt color is a homeland people choose to love, and we – the writers – are guests of countless homelands." I write this as someone born in Germany, living in South Korea, spending most of my time following English football. Chelsea are not my hometown team, but I have visited Stamford Bridge enough times to understand that that shade of blue has a special meaning to millions of people. When I write about them, I write with respect for a collective trying to find their way in the dark. Alonso, as a coach, is learning to live with pressure. He was a legendary midfielder who won every major honor in his career. But standing on the touchline as the one ultimately responsible is a different challenge. His decisions will be scrutinized under a microscope, his mistakes magnified, and his successes quickly forgotten if the bad run continues. The harshness of elite football is that it does not care about past reputations or good intentions. It only looks at results, and the current results are against him. More importantly, what analysts often overlook when discussing Chelsea is the psychological context of a squad that has endured too many upheavals. Within a few years, Chelsea have changed managers multiple times, constantly reshuffled the squad, and witnessed a revolution in ownership. Those upheavals cannot leave no trace in the dressing room. Players may be divided by uncertainty about their futures; new and old groups of players may not yet find common ground; and a new coach may struggle to establish order in a turbulent environment. These are invisible pieces that data cannot show but which deeply affect a team's success. However, there are also positive signals. Colwill, as one of Chelsea's academy's most promising products, is showing remarkable maturity. When a 23-year-old centre-back willingly steps up to take responsibility during a difficult period, it is a sign of a leader in the making. Other young Chelsea players are also showing progress, and if Alonso can connect those pieces into a cohesive team, the future may still hold much hope. What is needed now is patience – from the board, from the fans, and from the players themselves. After all, football is a game of belief. Belief in the system, belief in teammates, and belief in the ability to overcome even the darkest moments. When the final whistle blows, only one thing rings louder than every shout: the heart of the fans. And the hearts of those who love Chelsea, however many times they have been wounded, still beat in rhythm with their team. They deserve more than empty promises; they deserve a team fighting with everything they have. Bournemouth will come to Stamford Bridge, and that match will say everything. Will Chelsea show us a different face, a different spirit, a different willingness to fight? Or will we witness the familiar images of stagnation and confusion? The answer, as always, can only come from the pitch. And that is why, despite all the pessimistic statistics, despite all the worrying data, I still want to watch that match – not as a cold analyst, but as someone who believes football always holds miracles, even in moments that seem hopeless.