Ben Chilwell admits Chelsea need to find a ruthless streak as their inconsistent start to the Premier League season saw them lose at home to Nottingham Forest.
Anthony Elanga came off the bench to score the only goal of the game as Steve Cooper’s visitors left Stamford Bridge with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino had named the same side that beat Luton last time out in the league but, despite dominating possession, the Blues failed to find a way past Matt Turner in the Forest goal.
The hosts had 21 shots to Forest’s seven but managed to get just two on target as Nicolas Jackson – one of their big-money summer signings – missed a sitter in the search for an equaliser.
The loss leaves Chelsea on four points from four games, already eight points off the pace despite a summer of heavy recruitment.
“We are moving in the right direction,” Chilwell told the club’s official website.
“Every game we have controlled possession and the majority of matches we have played well. We need to finish chances, be more ruthless and stay composed to get back into games.
“That’s the final bit, finishing our chances. If you look at the stats we dominated the game, had the possession, but the most important stat is the goals. We lost in that department and lost the game, that is the black and white of it.”
Chilwell, who will now link up with England for their forthcoming fixtures against Ukraine and Scotland, believes results will improve once Pochettino’s new-look squad become more familiarised.
“It is a very new team still and a lot of new players still trying to find their feet at a new club,” he added.
“You have to understand their playing styles but it is a game we still should be winning. No excuses. We will hopefully turn this round as the confidence grows.”
Forest also had a busy summer in the transfer market as they recruited 13 new signings in a bid to avoid another relegation scrap.
Elanga was one of them, arriving from Manchester United for £15million, and he made the difference three minutes into the second half at Chelsea having only replaced Danilo in first-half stoppage time.
Asked if his first Forest goal was something he could now aim to build on, the Sweden international replied: “I need to play for me to build that confidence and that’s something I didn’t really get to do at United.
“But now that I’m here, I feel like I’ve got the confidence of the manager who has given me these opportunities and hopefully these opportunities will turn into starts and more goals and assists.”
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
'Nothing concrete' - Gyokeres brushes off Man Utd transfer links
Viktor Gyokeres says the rumours linking him with a January move to Manchester United are "nothing concrete".
The Sporting CP forward has been the subject of speculation following United's appointment of Ruben Amorim, though he has also been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich and Arsenal after his sensational form since moving to Portugal.
He has scored 34 goals in the Portuguese top-flight this calendar year, more than double the figure managed by the competition's next-most prolific player, Galeno, who has netted 16 times for Porto.
Gyokeres' haul has come from an expected goals (xG) figure of 28.18, while his shot conversion rate sits at 27.64% in 2024 (123 shots).
Amorim, who signed a contract at Old Trafford until June 2027, signed Gyokeres from Coventry City in July 2023, though he has suggested he will not buy any Sporting players in the upcoming transfer window.
Asked about a potential move to the Premier League, Gyokeres told Fotbollskanalen: "It's fun, but not something I attach any importance to because it's talk.
"These are rumours, nothing concrete. Of course, I want to finish the season at Sporting. I enjoy my time there. I don't feel stressed about making a change in the future. We'll see when the time comes.
"He [Amorim] probably already has strikers there. It's very sad that he left [Sporting], but of course, we understand the decision. He meant a lot to me, as he gave me an opportunity and helped me evolve a lot.
"Now we are looking forward to working with the new coach [Joao Pereira]."
The 26-year-old, who scored a league-high 29 goals last campaign, has netted 23 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, with 16 of those coming in the Primeira Liga.
Tottenham's Odobert undergoes hamstring surgery
Tottenham have confirmed that Wilson Odobert has undergone surgery for a hamstring injury.
The 19-year-old joined Spurs from Burnley in August and made five appearances in all competitions for the north London side.
He managed just 162 minutes in his three Premier League matches, creating three chances in that time, but has not featured in the competition since their 1-0 loss to Arsenal in mid-September.
His last appearance was a two-minute cameo in the Europa League group stage amid ongoing hamstring problems.
"We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November)," Spurs said on social media.
"The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."
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