It was a challenging start to the week for the Blues as our five-game unbeaten run came to an end in a London derby against Crystal Palace on Tuesday morning, despite Chelsea beginning strongly by dominating the first half and pinning the Eagles back.

The breakthrough came from a brilliantly executed set-piece, defender Olutayo Subuloye rising high to power home a header from Frankie Runham's corner. Our advantage was doubled before half-time when Runham struck a precise low shot, putting us in control at the break.

However, Palace emerged after the restart with renewed determination. Sebastian Williams pulled one back for the hosts and Jesse Derry soon levelled the score. Derry added another to his tally and Joel Drakes-Thomas sealed the comeback, securing all three points for Palace.

The result meant a disappointing end to 2024 for Chelsea, leaving the team to reflect on a tough encounter. However, for a young squad filled with schoolboys and first-year scholars, alongside a handful of second years, there is still a long journey of development ahead.

'We knew we were young, but we went into the game optimistic,' said Sulaiman. 'We started really well. We totally dominated the first half and had some brilliant passages of play where we controlled the ball.

'We were strong both in and out of possession, and we went in 2-0 up at half-time thanks to goals from Tayo and Frankie, who scored right before the break. At that point, there was plenty of confidence in the changing room. We were really positive and the message was pretty much, "more of the same". The focus was on trying to get the next goal.

'Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Palace changed their shape. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so they just went for it. They became a lot more aggressive and didn’t sit back. For our part, we probably showed our age because we didn’t respond to their aggression in the second half. Once they got the first goal, they gained momentum immediately.

'I don’t think our boys reacted well to conceding, especially when Palace got the equaliser. You could see the body language change. Heads dropped and we stopped playing with confidence.

'Despite that, we still managed to create two or three chances that we didn’t take. Had we converted those chances, the game would have looked very different, and I think the momentum would have shifted back to us. Instead, we ended up on the wrong end of a 4-2 defeat.'

The Under-18s included four schoolboys in the starting line-up for this fixture, with another two among the substitutes. Additionally, six first-year scholars made up a largely younger Chelsea Under-18s team.

Sulaiman continued: 'We made six changes from the side that started the FA Youth Cup tie against Leicester in the previous match.

'We had Freddie Bernal, an Under-16, making his debut in goal, with Walter Nutter – also an Under-16 – making his full debut at this level. Joseph [Wheeler-Henry[ came in at right-back, Frankie returned from illness on the right of midfield, Kobe [Barbour] started on the left and another Under-16, Chizzy [Ezenwata], began up top.

'With the age of the squad, we must learn and bounce back from this after reflection. We had a chat after the game, as I always have a post-match conversation with the group. In that, I usually highlight two or three areas where we did well and areas where we could improve.'

With our Under-18s pausing for the Christmas period, we have time to reflect on the final outing of 2024. Our next league fixture will be on Saturday 11 January, as we host West Bromwich Albion at Cobham for an 11am kick-off.

'On the whole, although the result was disappointing, losing in the manner we did – conceding four goals and throwing away a two-goal lead – was tough for all of us. We were very disappointed with how we finished the game, especially because we’d shown such dominance in the first half.

'However, the real reflection takes place between 24 and 48 hours after the game, when emotions have settled. We can watch the game back to analyse individual and team performance.

'That’s a process the boys have always engaged with well over the course of the season. If we look at how we started the season and where we are now, the boys have really embraced the reflection process, and overall we’ve seen improvement. That’s what we want from such a young, inexperienced side.'