Reece James urges Chelsea squad to 'raise levels' against Everton in upcoming clash

Chelsea are under pressure after their 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Enzo Maresca's side led through Joao Pedro in the first half, but late goals from Aleksei Miranchuk and Charles De Ketelaere turned the match on its head, leaving Chelsea outside the top eight and without a win in four games across all competitions.

With confidence shaken, James has taken direct action. The Daily Mail have reported that he led forthright conversations inside the dressing room, with the 26-year-old urging his teammates to raise their levels, particularly against sides they are expected to beat.

This season, Chelsea have produced standout displays against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, and they have impressed in spells against Bayern Munich and Arsenal. However, they have dropped costly points against Brentford, Sunderland and Leeds United.

Everton arrive in London in strong form, having won four of their last five Premier League matches. Yet they have not won at Stamford Bridge since 1994, a statistic that gives Chelsea a timely reminder of what is still achievable on home soil.

Speaking to Stan Sport, James reflected on the difficulties he faced when he was first handed the captains armband in the summer of 2024. "When I got the role, it was quite difficult," he said. "I wasn't fit on a regular basis; it was quite start-stop, so to have the impact on the team I wanted was super difficult at the start.

"But the more I've played and stayed healthy, it's been much easier to grow into that role."

Maresca, who appointed James captain shortly after taking charge, challenged him publicly earlier this year. Following a 3-1 win over Liverpool in May, he said: "He is on the way, he's doing well, he's progressing. But from Reece, I expected more also in terms of leadership."

He added: "Because you are the captain, you have to give more. You have to give more than the rest. He is a reserved guy, but we don't have a proper leader in the squad. Probably Tosin is one of the guys that is. The rest need to build themselves."

Chelsea remain the youngest team in the Premier League, with an average age of just over 24, while Everton are the oldest at more than 28. As the Blues look to steady themselves, Maresca will hope James' renewed authority can drive the response they urgently need.