Chelsea match embarrassing 65-year record against Hull as major Xabi Alonso problem exposed

Chelsea avoided suffering back-to-back Premier League defeats as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Hull City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with another defensive wobble costing the Blues all three points.

Xabi Alonso's side had lost 2-1 to Arsenal in their previous league outing, although they restored some confidence in midweek by thumping Leeds United 6-3 in the EFL Cup.

The afternoon began in promising fashion when Morgan Rogers struck inside the seventh minute, making him the fifth different player to score or assist in each of Chelsea's first four Premier League games of a season.

However, defensive lapses once again proved costly as Hull turned the game around to establish a 2-1 lead, before Joao Pedro rescued a point for the hosts with an equaliser in the 66th minute.

The result means Hull remain unbeaten in the league and retain third place in the Premier League table, while Chelsea sit fourth with seven points from their opening four matches.

Chelsea have gone 20 league games without a clean sheet for the first time in 65 years. ? pic.twitter.com/LUlYMgn1cw

While Alonso will be delighted by the speed with which record signing Rogers has adapted to life at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea boss will have far more concerns about a defence that is leaking goals at an alarming rate.

The Blues have conceded nine goals in their opening four Premier League matches, the most among the current top six, with only Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town having shipped more across the division.

According to Squawka, Chelsea have now gone 20 league matches without keeping a clean sheet, their longest such run in 65 years, which is an embarrassing statistic for a club boasting their resources and defensive talent.

What should concern Alonso most, however, is the consistency of the problem, with Chelsea having conceded at least twice in each of their five matches against Premier League opposition this season.

With no European football on the horizon this season, Chelsea were expected by many to have the freshness and squad depth required to mount a serious Premier League title challenge, but their defensive frailties are already threatening to undermine the considerable quality they possess further forward.

The Blues have tremendous firepower in attacking areas, with Rogers, Joao Pedro and the rest of their formidable forward line capable of causing problems for virtually any opponent, but a defence that continues to offer up cheap goals could prove to be their Achilles' heel under Alonso.

This was another frustrating afternoon for Chelsea, and Alonso now has plenty of work to do on the training ground before their next Premier League assignment away to Brentford, where another defensive collapse could see their early-season concerns become impossible to ignore.

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