Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful that their defeat against Nottingham Forest will allow his young side to mature.
The Blues fell to a second Premier League loss of the season on Saturday as Anthony Elanga’s goal sealed the win at Stamford Bridge.
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Such a result means they have claimed just four points from as many games and they now sit 11th in the table.
Chelsea have signed a number of youngsters since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover last summer.
As a result, they now have one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, a trait that appears to be affecting their performances.
When asked after the game if his team lack maturity, Pochettino said: “This type of game will help us be more mature. It’s not only to have quality, it’s about competing in a different way.
“Of course, we were better, we cannot say we didn’t deserve more but the stats reflects what you do, we create but didn’t score, few shots on target, should be more.
“That is about the process. We were not lucky as I thought we deserved more against West Ham and today. A matter of time.”
Chelsea’s starting XI had an average age of 24.5, with their nine substitutes averaging 21.1.
There is no doubt that the Blues possess a lot of talent in their ranks but so far, the results have been mixed.
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An opening weekend draw to Liverpool that showed promising signs was met with a 3-1 defeat against West Ham.
Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win over Luton before sealing a narrow win in the Carabao Cup against AFC Wimbledon.
The result against Forest signals that a lot of work is still yet to be done by Pochettino and co. in west London.
Cole Palmer came off the bench to make his debut after his £40million move but had little time to make an impact on the pitch.
Other summer arrivals including Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo also featured, although couldn’t help secure at least a point.
Chelsea now head into the international break with just two wins from five across all competitions.
Their fortunes could very well change in a few months time as the Blues look to fill their trophy cabinet even more.
But for now, their young and promising squad still have a lot to learn as the Chelsea rebuild continues to hit obstacles en route to success.
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