Chelsea dropped another two points in the Premier League this weekend, as a late Brentford equaliser cancelled out what Moises Caicedo thought was going to be the winner for the Blues in a 2-2 draw.
Another lacklustre and tired performance from Chelsea, which is worrying with so many games round the corner.
Although there were many elements which could be picked on as weaknesses against Brentford, once again defensive issues came to light and Wesley Fofana was at the front and centre of those problems.
Fofana made his first start back and operated primarily on the right side of defence, making up a back four with Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Jorrel Hato.
It’s clear the Frenchman is still very rusty after returning from his injury.
On the ball he needed to be better, as he ended up losing possession a staggering five times against Brentford.
But I want to highlight his defensive duties particularly for the first goal.
Nothing can take away from Jordan Henderson’s excellent pass into Kevin Schade, but Fofana is ball-watching rather than tracking the dangerous run of Schade.
It was lazy and sluggish, as doing this just allowed for a 1v1 situation vs Tosin which is not an area he excels at when defending.
If you’ve got Levi Colwill to back you up then maybe Brentford don’t end up getting the opener, but when you know your defensive partner’s weaknesses then you need to do your best to make sure those weaknesses are covered.
But Fofana wasn’t the only catalyst for Chelsea’s defensive problems yesterday. It would be unfair to put the blame completely on him.
Hato didn’t have an inspired performance, and although Chalobah is a fan favourite and Tosin is a big leader for the squad, that centre-back pairing is not good enough to start week in and week out.
Once again the sporting directors poor squad planning is already showing, and you can blame Enzo Maresca for the starting lineup all you like but the fact is that this is the depth he’s been dealt with.
Chelsea have two games each week, some against some of Europe’s elite when it comes to European football.
The depth he’s been dealt with could have a big effect on our season.
It’s Bayern Munich next on Wednesday as we return to the Champions League. A Big performance is needed, especially from those at the back.
