Xabi Alonso cut a frustrated figure after Chelsea lost 2-0 at home to Tottenham in the Premier League.
Mike Penders turned the ball into his own net, and Mathys Tel added a superb strike to hand Tottenham an unforgettable night at Stamford Bridge.
Football London published Alonso's comments from the press conference, where he said: "We are certainly disappointed with the result and the performance. We talked at half-time, and I had a feeling that the match would be decided by the goals, specifically the first goal."
"The second half was even, with some half-dangerous chances from their side, and some similar chances from our side," he continued. "And once we conceded the first goal, everything changed."
Then came the turning point. "Almost immediately after that, when we wanted to show a reaction, came Cole Palmer's red card, and things went in the opposite direction. We could perhaps have put in a better performance, so this is a big match that deserves reflection and review, especially as we faced a strong opponent."
Alonso addressed the dismissal directly: "Could the match be a lesson for Cole Palmer, because he was perhaps lucky not to have been sent off in the incident with Mateus Fernandes? I did not watch the two incidents on television, but according to what I was told, it is likely that the referee made the correct decision."
"When you concede a goal and go behind 0-1 with probably 15 to 20 minutes remaining, we must continue to deal with the match in the right way," he stressed. "I need to review the footage so that I can speak with Palmer, but it is certainly an experience that he should learn from in the future."
His verdict on the midfielder was pointed. "I believe that Cole Palmer, when he is focused on the match and enjoying playing, is in a different place. But today, after the first goal we conceded, that was a moment that called for keeping calm and showing maturity, and that applies to everyone."
On the injury to João Pedro, he commented: "We do not know how serious it is yet, because he has a large build-up of fluid. He felt the injury yesterday, and we probably have to wait until tomorrow to carry out the tests, so that we can know the full situation and how serious the injury is."
The Penders error brought its own questions. "How do you deal with a young goalkeeper like Mike Penders, and help him get past a mistake of this kind? We win together and we lose together, and dealing with mistakes and getting past them is part of the job, and this applies to me personally as it applies to everyone."
He signed off backing his keeper: "We support Mike, and we support the rest of the team's members too. He will learn from this mistake, and he will want to prove his ability to put in a better performance, and we too must show our ability to improve and put in a better performance."
Before the match, Alonso had compared the Belgian to his compatriot Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper.