Emi Buendia says that he and his teammates will have to play their best football to get anything from tonight’s Premier League game away to Chelsea.
“Chelsea is a big club with a big team and the best players,” he said. “It will be a difficult game because of their quality and because they’re fighting for the Champions League positions, but we are Norwich and have to play our best football, to keep trying everything for the club.
“Now is a difficult moment for everyone. Getting relegated is tough, but now we have to try to give everything in our last three games and do our best for the club and the fans.”
Asked to reflect on the season as a whole, Buendia cited injuries, small mistakes and a youthful team as factors in City’s relegation.
“It was a difficult season for everyone,” he said. “Since the beginning, we struggled with injuries in each position, mostly at centre-back. Some details made the difference on this level. Small mistakes make big differences.
“In many games, we were close to getting more points that we deserved, but the details made the difference.
“We have many young players but lots of quality in the team. A few of them are really experienced, but not many played in the Premier League before. That’s one of the reasons for our result in the end.”
Buendia is one of many young players given the opportunity to shine in the Premier League by Head Coach Daniel Farke, and the Argentine is grateful for his manager’s show of faith.
“He’s done a very good job with me,” he said. “He controlled myself and my mistakes during the season. On the pitch, he gives me the chance to feel freedom to try my football, creating chances for my teammates. I try to do my best in the final third.
“At first, I played on the right wing, but with the freedom I can move around. For most of my life, my position has been the number ten behind the striker, but with this system, it doesn’t matter for me if I’m there or on the left or right wing.”
A first Premier League goal for Buendia came at Vicarage Road against Watford in our 2-1 defeat last week, bringing about mixed emotions for the midfielder.
“It was a great feeling,” Buendia said. “It arrived very late in the season. I’d have liked to score before to help the team with my goals. I enjoyed the goal as it was my first one but we lost the game, so I couldn’t really enjoy that moment.
“It was good to get the experience of playing at this level with the best teams and the best players. It’s the hardest, most competitive league in the world. Sometimes, I had good moments, other times I didn’t feel good, but I think there were more positives for me.
“We were really good last year, the champions. Now, we have to focus on getting back to the Premier League as soon as possible.”