Reece James Highlights Positives In Chelsea’s Defeat To Arsenal

Chelsea captain, Reece James has highlighted the positives from his side’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 6.

Chelsea made a flying start when summer signing Morgan Rogers opened the scoring just two minutes into the game. Arsenal responded through former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz before captain Martin Ødegaard completed the comeback to secure a third consecutive league victory for the Gunners.

Despite the defeat, James praised Chelsea’s performance and said the team showed character after losing their lead.

“There were lots of positives; we started the game really well, and even when we went behind, we showed character to try and get back in the game, but we ran out of time in the end,” he told Sky Sports.

“Football at this level is a game of moments. One or two things change the scoreline. It was a tough game today, and we have to review and take the learnings.

“It’s the Premier League; it’s the toughest league in the world, and playing against anyone in midfield or in any position is always a test.

“We try and adapt as fast as possible. We’re still getting to know him and the way that he wants us to play. That comes with time, but we are dedicated to what we want and the way he wants us to play.”

Asked whether Chelsea can challenge Arsenal for the Premier League title, James refused to look too far ahead.

He said, “We’ll see where we are at the end of the season. We know what we have to do and we have to focus on ourselves and not let other teams distract us.”

Rogers’ early goal also saw Chelsea make Premier League history. The Blues became the first team in the competition’s history to score within the opening five minutes of each of their first three matches of a season.

Chelsea opened the scoring after just one minute in their 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage before taking an early lead against Brighton and Hove Albion in a 4-3 win, with Romero Lavia scoring in the fourth minute.

The defeat also extended Chelsea’s poor record against Arsenal. The Blues have not beaten the Gunners in the Premier League since a 2-0 win at the Emirates on 22 August 2021, when Romelu Lukaku and James scored.

Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League meetings with Chelsea and have avoided defeat in their last 12 matches against the Blues across all competitions.