Report: Chelsea and defensive crisis at the start of Alonso's reign

Xabi Alonso's start with Chelsea has not been ideal defensively, as the team's early matches in the Premier League revealed a clear problem in the backline, having conceded 7 goals during the first three rounds, which puts the team's defense in a significant position to improve in the upcoming period.

This issue became more apparent during the match against Arsenal on Sunday, which saw Chelsea suffer their first defeat since Alonso took charge. Although the team started the match perfectly and took the lead with a goal from Morgan Rogers just 77 seconds in, Arsenal managed to turn the score around and secure the victory.

One of the main issues that emerged at the start of Alonso's tenure is the ability of the defensive trio to function as a cohesive unit, particularly regarding positioning, coverage, and timing of advances and retreats. These elements require further harmony for the backline to become more stable.

Chelsea need more reinforcements over the next year or two. Alonso has done a lot since arriving at the club, but he still needs to build a defensive trio that gives the team a greater sense of cohesion.

With Alonso's project continuing, adding new elements to the backline seems to be one option to address the defensive issue, especially since the team's numbers at the start of the Premier League showed a clear need to improve this aspect.

The defensive problems do not mean that Chelsea lacked positive aspects against Arsenal, as the team appeared good in parts of the match, with Pedro Neto and Jorrel Hato standing out in the wing positions, while the attack was lively.

Chelsea's start under Alonso shows both positive aspects and areas needing development, but conceding 7 goals in their first three matches puts the backline at the top of the issues that need addressing, whether through improving the harmony among the players or strengthening the team with more signings in the upcoming period.