Chelsea Under-21s kicked off our Premier League 2 campaign last Friday evening against a strong Tottenham squad. Despite having the better of the play for most of the match, it was Spurs who proved more clinical in front of goal and claimed the three points.

Chelsea's Ato Ampah bagged the opening goal, linking up well with Ishe Samuels-Smith to slot the ball into the bottom corner past the Spurs keeper. However, the visitors fought back and secured the win with a brace from Tyrese Hall.

It was head coach Filipe Coelho's first time in the dugout at Kingsmeadow after joining the club in the summer. Although it was not the result he had hoped for, he reflected on the outcome and aspects of the evening he hopes the team can learn from and build on.

'We had a very good approach to the game from a defensive point of view. We were very aggressive in the first 20 minutes, when we did exactly what we had planned.

'Offensively, we scored one goal, through Ato Ampah, and we could have scored more in that initial period because we were very connected to the game plan at that point.

'However, after that period, we lost energy, made some mistakes and these led to a goal from Tottenham on a set-piece for which we were not focused enough on our tasks.

'From that moment on, we felt that the players didn’t connect so well with the mentality we wanted. We let Tottenham dominate the game a little bit more and they scored a second goal after half-time.

'This was the first match, against last season’s champions at this level. Our focus for the next matches has to be on remaining focused, being aggressive and showing the quality that we showed in that first period of the game, but for 90 minutes.'

The Portuguese coach has previously emphasised the importance of mentality, but he again highlighted how crucial a player’s attitude is to the game. He believes that a player’s mindset can significantly impact the team’s result, potentially making or breaking the performance.

'In our training sessions we are solving the situations from our game and working on how we want to play. More than focusing on our opponents, we are focused on ourselves and how we can grow and show better things.

'We are working in two big, parallel ways. One way is the mentality we want for the players and the other is the way that we want to play. They are two worlds that cannot live alone – they should and they must live together.

'The team is building a process from the values that we want to promote, always related to the team connection. We obviously never forget that they are individuals, but we must say that the individuals will shine when the team is in good shape. That’s the mentality that we want.'

Taking the lessons from Friday night’s defeat, the head coach looks ahead to the next Premier League 2 fixture against Everton. By reflecting on the experiences and analysing the squad’s performance, he hopes his Blues will unite and stay positive as they aim to secure their first win of the 2024/25 season.

'I’m looking forward to the next match against Everton, seeing us improve, play well and win the game. We have to learn from our mistakes and, if we keep working with the right mentality, then good things will come.

'This week we will work on remaining focused, aggressive, and showing the quality that we showed in that first period of the game. It will be a good test for the squad to see how they apply what they learn throughout this week in their next fixture.'

Support our young Blues

Supporters are invited to attend our Under-21s' second Premier League 2 fixture of the season against Everton at Kingsmeadow this Friday night, with a 7pm kick-off. Tickets are available here priced £7 for adults and £5 for seniors and juniors.