Gaffer's View: Hughton on Chelsea Loss

Chris Hughton was pleased that his side were not overwhelmed by a Chelsea side who looked a lot better than what they had done of late.

It was always on the cards that Chelsea would be a different side after the installment of a new manager and there were also fears that the Londoners might issue a bit of a backlash after suffering defeat at West Brom just a few days earlier.

But up until the visitors hit their second goal, City had matched their moneybags counterparts and may have taken the lead themselves after creating chances.
There was no way Blues were put to shame by the result.

Hughton told the Birmingham Mail: 'When you consider the amount of games we've had, the quality we're up against, we just needed to stay in the game longer in the second-half.

'And then you hope to get to the stage where they become a little bit anxious. And what you're able to do then is finish strong, which we did.

'We had the opportunity with Jordon Mutch late on and if that goes in and it's at 1-0, you are right back in it. But we were always chasing the game then.'

Prior to Chelsea breaking the deadlock, Blues were giving as good as they got, and were arguably the better side in the first period.

'When you consider the amount of games we've had, the quality we're up against, we just needed to stay in the game longer in the second-half,' added Hughton.

'And then you hope to get to the stage where they become a little bit anxious. And what you're able to do then is finish strong, which we did.

'We had the opportunity with Jordon Mutch late on and if that goes in and it's at 1-0, you are right back in it. But we were always chasing the game then.'

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