Mason Mount Says Chelsea 'Are Getting Punished' for Weakness on Set Pieces

Mason Mount isn't overly worried about Chelsea's recent form, but he is concerned the Blues are being punished for an ongoing weakness in defending set-piece situations.

Mount discussed the problem in relation to Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, per Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express: "I think Liverpool are a very, very good side, and they started the game well from two set pieces which you can't do very much from that with their quality. I thought they didn't create much in open play."

Goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino condemned the Blues to a second defeat in six matches in the Premier League. Mount discussed how Chelsea are responding to the main reason for the latest setback:

"I thought we were (concentrated) at the end but, if you switch off at set-pieces at this level, then you get punished. It happened twice so that's something we will look at and we have been looking at. We need to keep working on it. I would say that we are not going through a tough, tough spell. We are going through a spell when we are getting little bits here and there wrong and we are getting punished for it."

Mount is right to identify the Blues' primary weakness after Alexander-Arnold whipped in a stunning free kick, while Firmino planted a free header in from an Andy Robertson free kick.

Those goals followed a 1-0 loss at home to Valencia in the UEFA Champions League. Los Che's winner came from a set piece when Dani Parejo guided a free kick into the path of Rodrigo Moreno, who applied a deft finish.

Chelsea's ability to deal with deliveries from dead-ball situations hasn't been helped by a lack of continuity in defence. Injuries have denied Frank Lampard the chance to field a settled unit, with his best central defender, Antonio Rudiger, unavailable at the start of the campaign.

Rudiger is back, but left-back Emerson Palmieri has been in and out of the starting XI with injuries, leaving the pitch against Liverpool with a thigh problem. Centre-back Andreas Christensen was also withdrawn against the Reds, and Lampard confirmed Emerson will be out until after the next international break in October, although the Chelsea chief couldn't offer similar details on Christensen, per BBC Sport.

Chelsea have been unable to build a rapport, while Lampard has responded to the injuries by switching to a back three. He's also given playing time to 21-year-old academy graduate Fikayo Tomori.

This isn't the most physically imposing team Chelsea have fielded in recent years. Gone are the days of Gary Cahill and John Terry bullying opposition forwards in the box.

Aside from lacking aggressiveness, Lampard's defence isn't supplemented by as much height from midfield when N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic drop back. Striker Tammy Abraham also isn't as effective as backup Olivier Giroud in attacking the ball in his own box.

Fixing the growing vulnerabilities at the back has to be the priority for a team that's had no trouble finding goals at the other end. The imbalance in Lampard's squad explains why the Blues have yet to win on home soil this season.

Lampard has successfully refreshed the Chelsea forward line with precocious talents in Mount and Abraham. He needs to do the same with the combinations he has available in defence, starting in league play on Saturday against Brighton Hove & Albion.