Graham Potter Brighton
What did you make of the win?
Delighted with the performance and the attitude. Against a top opponent, we had to play well, and we had to act well. A clean sheet and three goals. We had to suffer as well, which is good to do because you have to do that in a game at the top level. Really pleased with the players, they’ve worked really hard this week, and it’s a good start for us.
What does it mean to beat a team like AC Milan in your second Champions League game?
Well, you’ve got to answer the question in two parts. I’m the coach of Chelsea, and you’ve got to make sure you’re professional and prepare the team as well as you can and stay in the game and focus on the game. Obviously, as a human being, Chelsea versus AC Milan is a fantastic football match and to be involved in it is something I’m grateful for. To win the match is great. We need to recover now and go again at the weekend and get ready for Tuesday.
Reece James impressed again, with the England debate is Trent Alexander-Arnold pushing him?
I think Reece is just a fantastic player, and he’s a young player, so he’s developing all the time. He’ll get better and better as we go. I’ve really enjoyed working with him, he’s got a lot to offer, he’s fantastic. He could play any game in the world, he’s tremendous. My job is to help him reach his potential because his potential is beyond the sky.
Great for Fofana to get the goal, but the injury… is it the knee, and how bad is it?
We don’t know yet. That’s the one disappointing thing about the evening. We need to scan, and fingers crossed. I wouldn’t want to speculate on it now, but we’re concerned, and we need to wait for tomorrow, get it scanned and hope for the best. It is what it is.
He’s had no luck?
No. These things happen. He’s a young guy, a strong guy. We’ll help him, we’ll support him, but at the moment not too much to report.
Is there Reece James the best player in his position in the world?
I haven’t watched that much to give you that answer. For us, we love him. He’s so important for us. My job is to help him reach his potential, and his potential is he can be a Chelsea legend with anybody. That is the level he has, the potential that he has. For that to happen, he has to be part of a successful team. That’s what we’re working towards.
We can already see the difference between this team and Thomas Tuchel’s team. Are you more direct now?
After that fantastic English, I have to say yes. We’ve just been working hard. It’s as simple as that. The players have responded well. I’ve been impressed with how open, honest, and responsible they are. I think they knew the level had dropped a little bit, and when you do that at this level, you can be punished. So it’s a credit to the players that they’ve tried to take on the things we’ve spoken about, and it’s just the start for us today. I’m part of the team, I guess, but it’s the players that go out there, the players that do it. My job is just to remind them they can play at the level they showed today. That should be the minimum for us today.
Tuesday will give AC Milan the opportunity for revenge?
We’re looking forward to going to the San Siro, that’s for sure. I am. Fantastic place to play football. You saw the away support here, I thought they were very loud and got behind the team, so I can imagine what it will be like at the San Siro. We have to be strong. We have to be ready for that. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.
