Marc Cucurella has played down talk of a Chelsea title push but believes it could still be another memorable season for the Blues.
Enzo Maresca’s side won the Conference League and the Club World Cup as well as qualifying for the Champions League last term.
On Friday night they bounced back from a lacklustre 0-0 opening-day draw with Crystal Palace by sending out a warning to the rest of the Premier League by thrashing West Ham 5-1.
But Spanish defender Cucurella said: “It’s the second game of the season – we drew the first one and all the people said we didn’t play well.
Celtic to face Kairat Almaty or Slovan Bratislava in Champions League play-offRyan Mason sent off as Portsmouth hit back to claim point at West Brom
“Now we won and all the people say we need to fight for the trophy. We need to take it step by step, game by game.
“We need to continue in the way we finished last season. I think we have a good team, new players that bring a lot of energy, a lot of quality.
“Hopefully if we continue this way it could be a good season.”
Chelsea’s thumping win in east London was all the more impressive after Cole Palmer pulled out injured just five minutes before kick-off.
They fell behind to Lucas Paqueta’s wonder-strike but hit back through goals from Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah.
But the star of the show was 18-year-old Brazilian winger Estevao Willian, who was called up to replace Palmer at the 11th hour.
“We have a big squad. All of us need to be important,” added Cucurella. “Estevao had a good game, made an assist – and we had five different goalscorers.
“This shows we are ambitious and have a lot of quality and hopefully we can continue this way.
“Estevao showed he’s very mature, even though he’s very young. He thought he was going to be starting on the bench and then in five minutes he had to get ready.
“He needed to listen and learn the tactics and everything and he had an amazing game. He has a lot of quality and can improve a lot.”
There is frustration for Jarrod Bowen and West Ham
There is frustration for Jarrod Bowen and West Ham(John Walton/PA)
All is not well at West Ham following back-to-back defeats with eight goals conceded.
Not for the first time it was left to captain Jarrod Bowen to front up to club media and explain away another capitulation.
“I’m angry and disappointed – all the emotions that come with having conceded eight goals in two games and not picked up a point yet,” he said.
“Myself as captain, I’m fuming with how the first couple of weeks have gone. I share the responsibility, and now it’s down to me to try and help get a reaction out of the players.”