Chelsea is getting precious little return for being the biggest-spending team in Europe this summer. And it's not escaping the attention of Thomas Tuchel, either.
"It does not take a lot to beat us," the Chelsea manager said after a 2-1 loss at Southampton in the Premier League on Tuesday. "This is what I do not like." If Wesley Fofana joins, as widely expected, from Leicester for what could be a record fee for a defender of more than 80 million pounds ($93 million), Chelsea's spending will not be far off $300 million in this transfer window. The majority of that will have come on defenders, with Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly having already arrived for big fees.

Yet Chelsea has conceded in all but one of its games. So compact in Tuchel's first year in charge, which included a Champions League title in 2021, the team now appears disjointed at the back and is missing the industry and energy of the injured N'Golo Kante in midfield. Southampton took advantage on Tuesday, recovering from conceding a 23rd-minute opener to Raheem Sterling, another high-profile summer signing, with goals from Romeo Lavia and Adam Armstrong before the break. Cucurella and Thiago Silva cleared Southampton shots off the line in the second half before late pressure by Chelsea failed to yield an equalizer at St. Mary's stadium, where Southampton lost to Manchester United on Saturday.

With so many new players, it might take time for this new-look Chelsea to click. "We struggle with our focus and consistency in matches." Tuchel said. "When things go against us, we struggle to find answers and our way back. Just toughen up as a team," he added, "and show a different mentality."

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