Goals from Somto Boniface, Donnell McNeilly and Tyrique George were not enough to see us past our London rivals at Cobham, as a 94th-minute goal secured a late victory for Tottenham.

The defeat was only the young Blues' second of their league campaign and leaves Sulaiman's side second in the Under-18 Premier League table. Spurs currently sit top and now hold a three-point advantage.

'There have been a lot of lessons to learn for myself and the boys after the game on the weekend,' Sulaiman reflected. 'The game was quite balanced and I even thought we edged it overall. The most important thing here for my players to learn is game management.

'Last week when we faced Spurs, we showed our character and our ability to bounce back from setbacks. This week we required much more experience in how to see out a game and that is what we struggled with towards the end of the game.'

The Under-18s boss continued: 'Spurs are a great side and it shows through their position in the league. We are also a great side but we want to make sure we are hitting our targets and improving every day.

'There is still a lot of work to do for us to get to where we want to be but I am sure we can get to that place.'

A short break now awaits Sulaiman and several of his players, with the Under-17 World Cup taking place throughout November and Chelsea involvement expected.

'I want to extend my best wishes to the players who are expected to be named in the England squad for the upcoming World Cup. This is an incredible opportunity and I have every confidence in their abilities.

'Competing at the international level is a tremendous honour, and it is also a valuable learning experience. They should cherish every moment and learn from every game.'

The break means the Under-18s will next be in competitive action on Saturday, November 25, as they take on Blackburn Rovers in the Under-18 Premier League Cup.