Xabi Alonso has fresh problems to solve after his side's alarming inability to dominate the ball came back to bite them, according to BBC News.
Chelsea managed just 25.9% possession in their league match against Brighton — the lowest figure recorded by any team under Alonso's management across his time at Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad. That statistic alone underlines how far his side were outplayed in terms of controlling the game.
Alongside the possession struggles, BBC News highlights defensive frailty from set-pieces as another growing concern for the manager. Together, the two issues paint a picture of a team still finding its footing under Alonso, with basic defensive organisation and ball retention both exposed in a match his side were expected to control.
With such glaring weaknesses on show, questions will now turn to how quickly Alonso can address them before they become a recurring pattern rather than a one-off aberration.