Xabi Alonso names the ‘most positive thing’ after Chelsea defeat to Brentford | Football

Xabi Alonso believes Jordan Henderson’s performance was the ‘most positive thing’ about Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday night.

Chelsea are now without a win in three Premier League games as goals from Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho sealed a deserved win for Keith Andrews’ side at the Gtech Stadium.

Henderson, meanwhile, was handed his debut for Chelsea following his arrival from Brentford as a free agent in the summer.

The 36-year-old missed the start of the season after suffering a broken wrist during England’s World Cup campaign in July.

But Alonso was impressed with Henderson’s first appearance for Chelsea, despite the team’s collapse in the second half.

When asked about Henderson’s debut, Alonso told Chelsea TV: ‘He has had a very good impact.

‘I’m happy with his performance, the way he has taken responsibility and connected with the players.

‘It’s probably the most positive thing about today.’

Alonso was asked about Levi Colwill’s post-match comments in which he claimed that Chelsea’s players were ‘bullied’ by Brentford.

‘Well, we need to, not just at set pieces, in defensive, in duels, in build-up, in control games,’ Alonso replied.

‘We concede the first goal but still during the game and when you lose shape, you are out of control, you concede in a transition and they do that well, things that we have worked on.

‘So to be able to understand the game, to know what it takes to be competing until the end, it’s something that, it’s a process, it takes time for them to feel it and at the moment we are not feeling it fully to compete for the whole game.’

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