According to a report by The Athletic on Sunday, 1 November 2026, despite Chelsea's 2-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, manager Xabi Alonso remains concerned about his side's defensive frailties.

Injuries to Wesley Fofana and the lack of a seasoned defensive leader are among Chelsea's most pressing defensive worries, and the Blues continue to struggle in other areas as well.

After a gruelling nine month stretch of twenty three league games without a clean sheet, Chelsea recorded their second in as many Premier League matches with the victory over United.

Goalkeeper Mike Penders was pivotal, producing a spectacular stop to deny Bryan Mbeumo in the second half. The Belgian also featured in Chelsea's previous shutout win over Everton.

The defensive problems remained evident, however, regardless of Saturday's result. Before the interval, Manchester United carved out a number of good chances, and a Matheus Cunha goal was disallowed after a close call.

Fofana drew heavy criticism after gifting the ball back to Amad Diallo and allowing him to threaten Chelsea's goal. Further doubts over his focus and defensive reliability arose when he was caught unaware during another United attack.

His recent disciplinary record has only deepened the concerns. The defender has received two red cards and seven yellow cards across 25 appearances and 14 matches, according to the report.

Alonso has also been unable to build a settled defensive unit because of injuries. Reece James, Aaron Anselmino, Pep Chavarria, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill and Malo Gusto have all been sidelined at various points during the season.

With Chelsea facing a demanding run of fixtures, Lacroix's latest hamstring injury has come as a major setback.

The report states that further recruitment is needed, despite the club spending nearly £130 million on defensive reinforcements in the summer.

The absence of a strong leader at the back has been identified as a major concern, so it is little surprise that Chelsea could look to add an experienced centre-back to their ranks in January.

Chelsea must find greater stability in defence and improve their defensive organisation if they are to challenge consistently, despite the encouraging win over Manchester United.