The versatile Dutchman started in the Blues team which got back to winning ways at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening by defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

In addition to securing our progress to the next stage of that competition, it also gives Chelsea a win to start building on again, following a disappointing loss by the same scoreline to Aston Villa in our last Premier League fixture.

With a difficult run of games approaching, which includes taking on top-four hopefuls Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Manchester United, plus third-placed Brighton again, all in quick succession, Ian Maatsen believes this could be a timely confidence boost for the squad.

‘We are a team and when I get my opportunity I am always ready to help my team-mates and that’s all I can do,’ said the 21-year-old, reflecting on the win over Brighton and what comes next for him and the team.

‘They are obviously different games and we have to prepare differently for them and when we play those teams we have to discuss tactics and all that.‘We are a good team. We just need to believe in ourselves and we will perform well by leaving it all on the pitch.’

Before then we will look carry the performance from our cup win into our league form when we travel the short distance across west London to face Fulham on Monday. It is the first of two away trips in the space of six days, followed by a visit to Burnley, where Maatsen spent last season on loan.

If we are successful in building momentum from the Brighton win before the next international break in mid-October and easing some of the pressure on the team, it could prove to be an important period for our season as a whole.

‘We needed it,’ he said of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory. ‘We were happy to win and can build from that one. It was a good game, we won and we still hope to improve from some bits but hopefully we can do that.

‘It was a very good feeling, positive. We hope we can build and hope everyone stays positive to keep this run going. We focus again on the Premier League and need to perform like that on Monday.

‘It is good to have pressure, but we need to stay calm and know what we are doing. We need to trust ourselves and our team-mates. We work hard on the training pitch and we just need to show it in games. It will come in time but we are ready. We will fight for each other and that is what we all need in our next game.’

On to Monday night, then, when Chelsea will hopefully put that into action by making it consecutive wins as we play Fulham at Craven Cottage at 8pm.