Chelsea lacked the commitment, intelligence and energy of supposed title challengers in 3-0 defeat by Brentford: Familiar failings haunt Xabi Alonso as we have seen this softness before, writes IAN LADYMAN

Chelsea may have started their Premier League life under Xabi Alonso with a hint of promise but it’s at places like Brentford’s Gtech Stadium where flaws tend to emerge. Here under west London’s Friday Night Lights, Alonso’s players came up short in a fashion that has become rather familiar.

There is a new coach and some new players at Stamford Bridge but we have seen this softness before. In a poor game that saw Brentford simply more familiar with each other and indeed the details of the task in hand, Chelsea lacked cohesion, intelligence and, most crucially of all, the levels of commitment and energy required of a team supposedly with title aspirations.

Brentford took time to get going themselves but once they did, late in the first half, they were the better team for a distance. Cleverer, quicker, hungrier. Keith Andrews’ team head into the weekend in third spot and will reflect on two goals that come straight from their training ground.

The set piece routine that gave Jaidon Anthony his first Brentford goal looked simple but takes practice. Then, late on, Chelsea were hit with the kind of rapid counter attack that has downed big teams in this part of London before.

Chelsea had some injuries and, as such, both Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck played. They were territorially superior for a while. But they faded dismally as the night wore on and after three games without a win – a draw and two defeats – they may well be in the bottom half by Sunday night

It was a surprise to see Henderson in the Chelsea team. Only hours earlier at Wembley, the England manager had declared him unfit for international duty.

Regardless, it was the 36-year-old’s Chelsea debut and the fact he was making it against the team he left in the summer led to a rather predictable reaction from the home fans.

Mind you, he wasn’t the only one. With Chelsea’s Emi Martinez and Valentin Barco being booed simply for being Argentinean, this was not a quiet first half in west London even if the football did nothing to stir the soul.

This was, in fact, an awful game in the first half and even the stadium announcer appeared to have a little sarcasm in his voice when he declared at the interval that the score is ‘exactly the same as it was at the beginning’.

With Alonso’s team involved in so many high scoring games so far this season, this had to happen at some point. It was surprising that it was here, though. Games at the Gtech don’t tend to be dull.

Alonso said: 'We dropped our consistency and competitive mentality needed in the second half. The small details can be decisive. It’s about 90 minutes and we have not been able to keep our level throughout the few games at the start of the season. We need to do better.

'It’s not just set-pieces, in defensive duels, in the build-up. We conceded the first goal and then we lost shape and conceded on a transition. To be able to understand the game and know what it takes to compete until the end. It's a process.

'We knew it was a process, it's five games. In a competitive Premier League, every game is going to be hard.'

Chelsea – missing Reece James and Joao Pedro through injury – also had Danny Welbeck in the team and he and Henderson were among Chelsea’s better players during an open half an hour they shaded. Cole Palmer – back in the England squad – was also prominent.

Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was required to save well to his right when a mistake from Keane Lewis Potter allowed Pedro Neto to shoot in the 10th minute. At the back end of the half, meanwhile, Morgan Rogers shot powerfully after a run and low cross from Pep Chavarria set him up. Jannik Schuster stood firm to take the shot in his midriff.

At the other end, Brentford took an age to get going. There was none of the home team’s usual energy. On the touchline manager Keith Andrews conducted a constant dialogue with the fourth official. Maybe he was asking him if he fancied a run in the centre of midfield.

As half-time neared there were some Brentford flurries. They found some momentum. Martinez dropped easily enough on a low shot from Yehor Yarmoluik before Kevin Schade's effort was blocked, allowing Lewis-Potter to curl an effort that was well anticipated by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

Brentford managed to take some of that momentum into the second half and for a while Chelsea were becalmed. Henderson had been like a fulcrum in the first half as his team ticked over but the veteran’s influence waned as Brentford’s energy began to surge and with it their confidence.

Lewis Potter caused Chelsea particular problems with his scurrying runs down the left and it was from a corner on his side that Brentford took the lead.

There was nothing overly fancy about. A delivery to the far post, a header back across from Schuster and a nod from a yard from Anthony. Just shows what happens when you actually keep your eyes on the ball.

Chelsea tried to rally but couldn’t. Barco’s appeal for a penalty with fourteen minutes left was weak and when Schuster sent Kevin Schade clear in the 83rd minute, he was denied by Martinez only for Thiago to gobble up the rebound.

Fabio Carvalho wrapped up proceedings with Brentford's third in the fourth minute of stoppage time. A just reward for the 24-year-old, who spent the last year recovering from a knee injury.