At the end of a fiercely contested derby that was in the balance throughout, the Blues had tasted defeat for the first time this season. We succumbed 2-1 to the champions in north London despite a fine early Morgan Rogers strike.

For our skipper, the game hinged on fine margins and there are aspects of our performance that pleased him, with other areas to improve upon.

‘We didn’t get the result we wanted and we are not happy about that, but there were positives,’ James said.

‘We started the game really well. Even when we went behind, we showed character to try and get back in the game. We ran out of time in the end.

‘Football at this level is a game of moments. It’s one or two things that change the scoreline, and that gets overplayed a bit.

‘It was a tough game and we have to review and take the learnings. We have another game against Leeds in a few days and we have to get ready for that.’

The forthcoming fixtures against Leeds – in the Carabao Cup third round – and then Hull City provide an opportunity for the Blues to respond to our maiden setback of the season.

James says there is a good mood around the camp, and that life under Alonso has been a period of education and tangible progress. He feels it bodes well for the season ahead.

‘It’s been two months working with the new manager and his staff and we’re enjoying it so far,’ explained James.

‘We try and adapt as fast as possible. We’re still getting to know him and the way he wants us to play, and that comes with time. We’re dedicated to what he wants and the way he wants us to play.

‘We’ve had two wins from three in the league. It’s a small bump in the road but we’ll be back. We have to focus on ourselves and not let other teams distract us.

‘It’s gameweek three; we have 35 more to go. With time, patience and hard work we will be in and around it.’