Gerrard says Chelsea need world-class defenders to compete at the top

Steven Gerrard has said Chelsea must sign world-class defenders if they want to compete at the top end of the Premier League, pointing to the club's defensive record so far under head coach Xabi Alonso.

Defensive record under scrutiny

Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League table after a mixed start to the season. The Blues are the third-highest scorers in the division, but they have been vulnerable at the back. They have conceded 16 goals in just 10 league games. Among teams in the top half of the table, only 10th-placed Aston Villa have conceded more. By comparison, league leaders Arsenal have conceded only five times.

Gerrard's assessment

Gerrard believes Chelsea must recruit a higher standard of defender if they are to close the gap on the division's leading teams, which he named as Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as the top sides in the Champions League. He said the successful Chelsea teams of the past were all built on world-class defensive foundations.

"I think for Chelsea with Arsenal, City, Liverpool, and at the top end of the Champions League, I think they need to find world-class centre-backs and a world-class left-back," the former England captain told The Overlap Daily.

Looking back at a famous back four

As an example, Gerrard pointed to the Chelsea back four of Ashley Cole, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Branislav Ivanovic. He said that group could compete at the top of both the Premier League and the Champions League, and had proven it. He also highlighted the midfield players who sat in front of that defence, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien, describing them as top, world-class players.

Turning to the current squad, Gerrard referred to goalkeepers Emi Martinez and Petr Cech, saying they were "ok" and that there was "not much in it" between them. He noted that Martinez has proven he can win a World Cup and perform to a high level. However, he said Chelsea's defenders still need to prove they can compete at the top end of the Premier League.

For Gerrard, the difference comes down to recruitment. "I think for Chelsea to go to the next level, they need to recruit that," he said.