Chelsea news: Tottenham win shows Blues will not implode like 2015 - Thibaut Courtois

THIBAUT COURTOIS insists that the opening day defeat to Burnley was a “wake-up call” for Chelsea and insists there will be no 2015-style implosion this season.

Thibaut CourtoisGETTY

Thibaut Courtois says the opening day defeat to Burnley was a wake up call

The 2-1 win over Tottenham in the first ever Premier League match at Wembley have eased the nerves at the club following the tepid defeat against Burnley last week.

The manner of that capitulation at Stamford Bridge – Chelsea were 3-0 down by half-time – had many drawing parallels with the disastrous campaign of two years ago when Jose Mourniho’s title-winners fell apart in a flurry of dressing room unrest and managerial crises.

However, the resilience shown in securing a late win against their London rivals convinces goalkeeper Courtois that this is a very different scenario.

“Obviously after last week, it doesn’t show it will be the same,” he said. “We just started bad. Maybe we needed as a group a little wake-up call to say, ‘Look, we need to give 150 per cent this year and not 100 per cent.’ That’s what we did against Spurs and I think we did it very well. You see that in the end. We showed we can win those difficult games.

We just started bad. Maybe we needed as a group a little wake-up call to say, ‘Look, we need to give 150 per cent this year and not 100 per cent.’

Thibaut Courtois

“Last week, where maybe the first half we lacked some aggression, we conceded those goals too easily, even with 10 men. In the second half we showed good battle last week and I think at Wembley we showed more of that on the pitch.

“We didn’t have the possession but what we did with the ball was good, and we defended all together really well.

“I remember two years ago we had to go to City and lost there. It was a difficult start for us. Now, this victory is good.

“Next week we play at home against Everton, who are doing well. We don’t have the easiest start but this victory is good for the confidence, to continue the hard work we are doing in training.”

Thibaut CourtoisGETTY

Thibaut Courtois helped Chelsea to victory over Tottenham at Wembley

Putting one over potential rivals for the title so early instead bodes well for Chelsea’s chances – although nobody at the club is getting carried away.

“The Premier League is very long,” Courtois continued. “Last year we didn’t start very well: we won the first games then we had a difficult September.

“A lot of people then said we couldn’t win the league, and we did it. The Premier League is one long marathon, not a sprint of one month or two months. Let’s see, game by game, and then in May hopefully we are there to win the league. If not we will try to be as close as possible.”

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