Every Chelsea fan will say the same thing about Xabi Alonso’s first seven games in charge. Great going forward, but the exact opposite at the back. The Blues have conceded 15 goals already.

This weekend sees the return of Premier League football after a four-game international break for some countries. The Blues have enjoyed a mixed start, winning four of seven matches in all competitions.

Only two of those have come in the Premier League, while losing to London rivals Arsenal and Brentford and drawing against Hull. Gary Lineker says the pressure isn’t on Alonso, but it could be very soon.

Xabi Alonso admits Chelsea’s defence is worse than he thought

When Alonso was announced as Chelsea manager, he knew that Chelsea’s defence was the area of the pitch that required the most attention. Four signings were made in the summer, costing £130m.

Emi Martinez and Maxence Lacroix are first choice, while Marco Palestra and Pep Chavarria have yet to make an impact on the side. Alonso told Stan Sports that Chelsea’s defence is worse than he first thought.

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Alonso was asked: “For the defence, is that something you expected before you started, or did you expect to be a bit better?”, to which the Chelsea gaffer replied: “You expect to be good, and you work for that.

“It’s very difficult not to concede any goal, but we can do better. We are critical. We are analytical about how we can improve. I have the feeling it will get better, but at the moment it’s not been good enough.”

Chelsea’s worst defensive streak in 65 years

The run of 21 games without a Premier League clean sheet is embarrassing. Not since 1960-61 have the Blues gone on such a long run without keeping opponents at bay. To be successful, that needs to change.

Is Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system working? Ruben Amorim used the same formation and had exactly the same results as Alonso after seven matches. He proved too stubborn, wouldn’t change, and got the sack.

There is a feeling that Alonso can be more tactically versatile. But if Chelsea fail to keep a clean sheet on Saturday, then something defensively needs to change – and perhaps an entire switch in formation.

There is some hope. Alonso’s start at Leverkusen was even worse. By the end of his second season, the German side had won the title without defeat. It’s not the end of the world, but it could be a lot better.