The Blues fell to an early goal as last season’s top scorer Erling Haaland put Man City ahead, but we remained competitive throughout the remainder of the first-half, having an equaliser disallowed for a narrow offside.

The hotly-anticipated debuts of the likes of Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were unable to turn the tide as former Blue Mateo Kovacic ensured all three points would be heading back to the Etihad Stadium.

Lavia was a stand-out performer for the Blues, helping to control the midfield alongside Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez during only his first Premier League start for Chelsea. The 20-year-old is hopeful of taking the good points from the curtain-raiser into the following few months.

‘I think there are a lot of positives to take from this game, we had a lot of chances,’ Lavia opened.

‘We felt like we had the chance to get on top but it didn’t happen. They were clinical, but we had the chance to come back at times. When you play against good teams you know that these types of things can happen.

‘It’s about learning from it. It’s only the first game of the season. There are 38 games in the season and as you can see something is growing, you can definitely see that on the pitch.

‘Obviously, the result didn’t go our way today on the pitch, but I think the way we are playing and the way we are now is exactly where we want to be. We are taking the good things and focusing on the next game.’

After a long injury lay-off, Lavia was particularly delighted to find his way into Enzo Maresca’s first Premier League starting XI, praising the club’s staff for their help in his return to full-fitness.

‘I’m extremely grateful for the club and the medical staff after my struggles last season,’ Lavia explained.

‘Pre-season helped me to get here today and I’m just grateful to be back with the team. I don’t really want to speak about my time injured but it’s never easy. No one wants to be injured. From there you just have to see the positives and be ready.’

After the Premier League opener, the midfielder has his eyes squarely on the rest of the season.

He added: ‘We are working very well and the vibe within the team is great – we’re all going in the same direction. We are excited for the rest of the season.’