{"id":5232,"date":"2026-09-19T07:11:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T07:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=5232"},"modified":"2026-09-19T07:11:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T07:11:30","slug":"the-only-positive-from-chelseas-3-0-defeat-to-brentford-xabi-alonso-praises-his-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=5232","title":{"rendered":"The only positive from Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford, Xabi Alonso praises his ‘energy’"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Any pre-season optimism was drained from Chelsea supporters as Brentford demolished Xabi Alonso\u2019s men on Friday night \u2013 but there was one positive, and Xabi Alonso praised him post-match.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho all got their names on the score sheet as Keith Andrews\u2019 side got revenge for the clash between himself and Alonso at Euro 2012, which saw Spain beat Ireland.<\/p>\n

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It is the worst result of Alonso\u2019s tenure by some considerable distance, and it sees Chelsea<\/a> go three games without a Premier League win. It is 21 Premier League games since Chelsea kept a clean sheet.<\/p>\n

Emi Martinez has now conceded 10 goals in four games, and the Blues defence is lacking ideas. But there was one positive from Friday\u2019s hammering in West London, and it was a debut for Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Xabi Alonso explains reason behind Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli debut<\/h2>\n

There were four full Premier League debuts for Chelsea as well as three debuts. Jordan Henderson met both criteria, while Danny Welbeck, Pep Chavarria and Valentin Barco started for the first time.<\/p>\n

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Chelsea\u2019s player ratings after that disastrous performance\u2026 do you agree with us?<\/h3>\n

Who deserves higher and who deserves even lower? \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Nicoll-Jazuli, 16, came on for Chelsea after Geovany Quenda also got his Blues debut, after a brilliant pre-season for the Australian-born teen. After the match, Alonso explained his decision to bring him on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe brought Mahdi because he has great energy and in the middle we were short on numbers,\u201d Alonso said after watching his side lose 3-0, with Moises Caicedo and Reece James both missing through injury.<\/p>\n

Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli becomes Chelsea\u2019s fifth-youngest player ever<\/h2>\n

At 16 years, eight months and 12 days, Nicoll-Jazuli made history on Friday night. He became the fifth-youngest player to play in a competitive fixture for Chelsea, but who made their debuts at a younger age?<\/p>\n

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Photo by Chris Lee \u2013 Chelsea FC\/Chelsea FC via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nicoll-Jazuli is not even the youngest player to play for Chelsea this season. Reggie Watson is the club\u2019s fourth-youngest player after starting against Leeds in the Carabao Cup. Reggie Walsh is in third place.<\/p>\n

The Wigan loanee made his debut in the Conference League semi-finals under Enzo Maresca. Below the trio are Kingsley Whiffen and Ian Hamilton, who both made their Chelsea debuts way back in 1967.<\/p>\n

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