Romeo Lavia takes ‘good things’ from Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City

Enzo Maresca tasted defeat in his first competitive game in charge of the Blues after prolific striker Erling Haaland and former Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic struck at Stamford Bridge.

Lavia made his first league start for the Blues since his big-money signing from Southampton in 2023.

“Obviously, the result didn’t go our way today on the pitch, but I think the way we are playing and the way we are now is exactly where we want to be,” Lavia told Chelsea’s official website.

“We are taking the good things and focusing on the next game.

“We felt like we had the chance to get on top but it didn’t happen. They were clinical, but we had the chance to come back at times. When you play against good teams you know that these types of things can happen.

“It’s about learning from it. It’s only the first game of the season. There are 38 games in the season and as you can see something is growing, you can definitely see that on the pitch.

“I think there are a lot of positives to take from this game, we had a lot of chances.”

Lavia’s first season at Chelsea was hampered by injuries.

The 20-year-old started in every pre-season match this summer and thanked the club’s medical staff for getting him up to speed.

“Pre-season helped me to get here today and I’m just grateful to be back with the team. I don’t really want to speak about my time injured but it’s never easy,” Lavia said.

“No one wants to be injured. From there you just have to see the positives and be ready. I’m extremely grateful for the club and the medical staff after my struggles last season.”

Chelsea begin their Conference League qualification journey against Swiss side Servette on Thursday.

Lavia said: “We are working very well and the vibe within the team is great, we’re all going in the same direction. We are excited for the rest of the season.”