REECE: KIDS STEPPED UP

REECE JAMES insists Chelsea’s youngsters have raised their game this season to keep hold of their first-team places.

Boss Frank Lampard oversaw a big summer spending spree of more than £200million, with Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy arriving at Stamford Bridge.

That immediately put home-grown players such as James, Tammy Abraham (inset, top) and Mason Mount (inset, bottom) under pressure, but they have all risen to the challenge and pushed their game to a new level.

Defender James, 20, ssaid: “It brings a good level of competition and everyone wants to play.

“You need to fight for yyour position and it forces people to improve, taking performances to another lelevel. This year, we have loadsloa of new players, and they have all come in and had a very good impact. We have got much stronger as a team. Everyone here wants to win and it’s why we go out every game to get three points.

“All the players that have come in have settled in really well.”

Chelsea have enjoyed a rich vein of form in the Premier League and Champions League, with five clean sheets in a row, but James believes the Blues must set themselves “new targets” to keep pushing forward.

James (below) added: “It’s very good to be a part of that, but we can’t just sit back. We need to stay on it and keep setting new targets.

“Beating Rennes 3-0 in the Champions League was obviously a very good win against a good side.

“We are building momentum, keeping clean sheets, and need to keep that going.”