Cole Palmer dilemma and more: Five things we’ve learned about Chelsea so far this season
We are only five games into the 2026/27 Premier League season, and there has already been many highs and lows for Chelsea.
There has been some really exciting football thanks to Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers. They have been on absolute fire under Xabi Alonso.
Yet Chelsea have still dropped a lot of points, losing 3-0 to Brentford last time out. They currently sit 10th in the table with a record of two wins, two defeats and one draw.
So, after five games, what can we say about Alonso’s Chelsea side? Here are five things we have learned about them so far:
1. Chelsea are the Premier League’s great entertainers
Tuning into a Chelsea match for a defensive masterclass? Forget about it! Their encounters this season have been like NBA games, which is probably a good thing if you are a neutral. In five Premier League matches, they have scored 10 goals but conceded 12. No one has conceded more times.
Offensively, Alonso’s system is working and guarantees action. It is making Chelsea games entertaining, but the imbalance between attack and defence means they can blow a team away one week and then completely fall apart the next.
What do you make of the criticism Cole Palmer has faced since withdrawing from the England squad?
Rio Ferdinand is still a fan!
2. Chelsea’s fluid and lethal attack just isn’t as lethal without Joao Pedro
Chelsea’s summer transfer business raised eyebrows, but the addition of Rogers has made an attack that was already dangerous even stronger. Again, the fluid frontline of Rogers, Palmer and Pedro has been terrorising defences, but the Brazilian missed the trip to Brentford and Chelsea failed to score.
Understandably, you take Pedro away from this team, and they are just not as deadly. Pedro has been receiving specialist treatment following his injury, so hopefully he will be fit enough to play against Bournemouth.
3. Chelsea players can’t keep a clean sheet to save their lives with Blues on worst run in 65 years
While the attack is scoring at will, to reiterate, Chelsea have been extremely poor in defence this season and the defensive metrics should be sounding major alarm bells at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have failed to record a single clean sheet in the Premier League.
In fact, stretching back to the tail-end of the previous campaign, the Blues have now gone 21 consecutive Premier League matches without a shutout. This represents Chelsea’s worst defensive run in 65 years! Until Alonso finds a way to instil some balance between attack and defence, a top-four finish seems unlikely.
4. Cole Palmer could burn out
Palmer remains the undisputed talisman of this football club, racking up four goals and two assists in the opening weeks. However, his immense workload has rapidly triggered a player welfare debate and is something Chelsea need to be very cautious about.
After being forced to withdraw from England international duty with a muscle injury, Palmer became the centre of a debate about load management. PFA chief Maheta Molango recently used the Chelsea star as a prime example of football’s unsustainable “survival of the fittest” calendar. With Chelsea largely dependent on his creative output and goalscoring prowess, managing Palmer’s minutes could dictate the success of their entire campaign.
5. Chelsea have no midfield
With Moises Caicedo suffering with an injury and veteran signing Jordan Henderson no longer in his prime, Chelsea have lacked control in the engine room.
Their midfield was completely exposed in a bruising 3-0 defeat against Brentford. Opponents are playing through Chelsea’s midfield with ease, leaving the backline entirely unprotected. The club’s hierarchy are said to have acknowledged this team flaw and are already scouring the market for a midfielder ahead of January.
Bournemouth are determined to keep hold of Alex Scott, but he remains a key target for the Blues.
What’s Next for Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea?
Chelsea return to Premier League action on 10 October against Bournemouth. It will be a litmus test for Alonso following the defeat to Brentford and the quality of the Cherries. Will he double down on his 3-4-2-1 formation and style, or has he had a bit of a rethink during this international break? One thing is certain: things will never be boring with Chelsea.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
