Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said his young teams “are not children” and called on them to take on the challenge of ending a five-match winless run.
The Blues have fallen to fifth place in the Premier League since their last victory on December 15, as their brief challenge to leaders Liverpool collapsed.
Maresca has always maintained that his team – who have the youngest average age in the league at just under 24 – are not ready to compete for the title, even after a pre-Christmas winning run that brought them to within two points of the summit. .
But since the draw against Everton five weeks ago, they have struggled to find their form, losing back-to-back games against Fulham and Ipswich before dropping more points amid a glut of missed chances in draws against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
Maresca was asked if lack of experience was hindering players in their search for answers to the current crisis.
“They’re not children,” he said.
“Most of them are 20-year-old players. They have to deal with that. If a moment like this comes, it’s not just us, it’s all the clubs. They’ve all had moments like this, except Liverpool.
“It’s just how you enjoy that moment and you try to react and try to start again to win games.
“This is a new situation for them, they are experiencing it now and probably the next time it happens they will be able to experience it in a better way.”
Chelsea face Wolves on Monday night aiming to return to the top four after Newcastle’s defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday opened the door for Maresca’s side.
As Arsenal and Nottingham Forest continued to pick up points throughout the Blues’ difficult spell, it increased the urgency to turn things around.
The first glimmer of recovery came in the form of Reece James’ equalizer in the fifth minute of injury time to salvage a point against the Cherries on Tuesday.
It was the captain’s first league appearance since returning from a hamstring injury which had kept him sidelined since November.
The defender has only made 31 league appearances over the past two and a half seasons.
“I think Reece is one of the most important players for us, firstly because he is the captain and secondly because we know how good he is,” Maresca said.
“With him still in good shape, the form was better, but we are trying to adapt. Now he is back and we are happy. He’s improving (his leadership) and that’s important.
Maresca dismissed the suggestion his side lack a killer instinct despite failing to finish off Bournemouth during a first half they dominated.
Nicolas Jackson was to blame for missing two glorious chances at Stamford Bridge before the visitors hit back.
He added: “By being a bit luckier we can convert and score more goals, so it’s not about being a killer.
“At the moment the one missing is Nico but the way he works is fantastic. We have no doubt that he will start scoring soon.