'Tough to take but we stay strong together' - Trippier, Dier, Nkoudou react

The players were determined to stay positive in the wake of Saturday's 4-2 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Goals in the last 15 minutes from Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic put us away after a gutsy team performance saw us twice come back from a goal down and really impose ourselves on the game, without managing to edge ahead.

Here's what the lads had to say to us as they dusted themselves down after the match at Wembley...

Kieran Trippier

On the outcome
"It’s a tough one to take – two set-pieces, four shots, four goals. The lads are really disappointed. We were 1-0 and 2-1 down, came back to 2-2 and thought we were in control. I thought they ran out of energy. It’s hard to take. I thought we deserved to win but they scored from set-pieces and a screamer from Matic."

On our defence
"We normally keep clean sheets, we defended well but set-pieces cost us. We’re frustrated and devastated. The fans will be too but we’ve got to let this one go now, concentrate on the league and give our best for the rest of the season."

On the players' determination to win big games
"We gave everything, went down twice against a team like Chelsea, came back to 2-2 and controlled the game. Like I said, we’re disappointed, the fans will be as well. We know we don’t normally concede goals like that – not for the last two seasons. It’s a tough one to take but we have to move on, regroup, recover and then it's another big challenge at Palace – the first of six vital games."

Eric Dier

Thoughts on the game
"We’re all very disappointed. I felt we were in control of the game for most of it and it’s a strange feeling because I don’t really know how it’s ended up like it has, considering the way we played. It’s quite clear to see. It makes it even more frustrating because I felt we played well and controlled the game and to lose like that at the end is very frustrating."

On the goals conceded
"Other than the Matic goal which was a fantastic goal, the other three are very disappointing for us to have conceded considering how solid we’ve been. They are goals we should have prevented."

How do we pick ourselves up?
"We have to move on, there is nothing we can do about it and we have a massive game on Wednesday. We’ll put all our attention onto that now. We have to get this out of our heads and carry on – I’m sure we will. I don’t think anyone expected this team to be where it is now – look at the last three years and look at where Tottenham are now. We’re getting closer and closer and I have no doubt that if we keep working, we’ll get our luck on these occasions."

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou

What did you think of the performance?
"It’s true, we are not happy. We had a big chance for a win today but Chelsea were able to win. It’s football. Today the loser is Tottenham but you learn from this sort of game and we stay strong together."

How much will this experience help your development?
"For me, I learn every day on the training ground in the week and when I play on the pitch. I am always ready when the manager calls me onto the pitch and I try to learn together with the big players that we have. This game was very important for me to see the big players in the same place in a big game and I try to learn as much as I can from them."

On Christian Eriksen's assists
"Christian had a great game. He is a very good player, he has very good feet for his passing and he sees everything in the game all the time. For me, it’s a big chance to play in the team with him."

Christian Eriksen

On the efforts of the team
"We tried, we gave everything we had, we came back twice after two big knocks that weren’t really necessary and then when you see the fourth, that was another huge knock mentally for us with only 10 minutes left. We missed a few bits (in our game) today – the clinical part – and they had three shots and a penalty and scored four goals, so that was different. We tried everything we could, we had chances but we let them back in the game and let them have the lead too often. If we’d scored first, maybe it would have been our game."

On the team's motivation to keep improving
"If you play as well as we did, we can take a lot from the game. It’s a big disappointment because everyone wanted to be in the final and have a shot at a trophy, but we still have games left in the Premier League and hopefully it will be an exciting end."