Reece James breaks silence on Chelsea Carabao Cup final defeat with four-word verdict

Reece James has described Chelsea's Carabao Cup final defeat as a «tough one to take» for everyone involved at the club. However, the captain has called on the squad to put it behind them and focus on the «challenges ahead».

Chelsea were beaten in agonising fashion by Liverpool at Wembley thanks to a 118th minute Virgil van Dijk header. The Blues dominated the Reds from the 70th minute until full-time of normal time but were unable to take any of their chances against an in-form Caoimhin Kelleher.

It was the perfect opportunity for Chelsea to kickstart the Mauricio Pochettino era at Stamford Bridge with a major honour after less than eight months in charge. However, it was not to be for the Blues, who now see the FA Cup, where they host Leeds United this evening in the fifth round, as their only realistic chance of winning silverware in Pochettino's debut season with the club.

Speaking in his programme notes, Chelsea captain James reflected on the heartbreaking Sunday evening for him and his teammates. He said: «Sunday's result was a tough one to take for all of us, but we can't dwell on it now.

»We still have a lot to fight for this season, and we have to keep our minds on the challenges ahead, starting with the FA Cup and a massive game against Leeds tonight. Chelsea and Leeds have been rivals for decades and we know how much this one means to the fans.

«So it's important that the lads refocused after Sunday, and used the couple of days in between to recover and prepare for tonight's game. The FA Cup has played such a big part in every great era at Chelsea and we want to make sure we keep the club's tradition in this competition going.

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