Fikayo Tomori promises response from Milan after below-par show against Chelsea

Former Blues defender says his team have a point to prove in Champion League clash at San Siro on Tuesday

Fikayo Tomori celebrates with teammates after scoring AC Milan's first goal in their 2-0 Serie A win against Juventus at the San Siro on October 8, 2022. Getty

Fikayo Tomori celebrates scoring AC Milan's first goal against Juventus. Getty

Fikayo Tomori celebrates scoring AC Milan's first goal. Reuters

Brahim Diaz scores AC Milan's goal during the Serie A match against Juventus. EPA

Brahim Diaz celebrates with AC Milan teammates after scoring the second goal against Juventus. EPA

Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao celebrate after Diaz scored AC Milan's second goal against Juventus. AFP

AC Milan forward Rafael Leao takes a shot on goal. AFP

Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic and AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer challenge for a header. Reuters

Juventus striker Moise Kean of Juventus is challenged by AC Milan defender Pierre Kalulu. Getty

Juventus midfielder Matias Soule challenges AC Milan forward Rafael Leao. Getty

Fikayo Tomori has promised AC Milan will make up for last week's below-par showing at Stamford Bridge when they host Chelsea at the San Siro.

Former Chelsea defender Tomori cut a frustrated figure as his Milan side slipped to a 3-0 Champions League loss in west London last week.

The 24-year-old exorcised some of those demons by netting the first goal in Milan's 2-0 Serie A win over Juventus on Saturday.

But the Canada-born England centre-back insisted the Rossoneri are still determined to set the record straight in Tuesday's Group E encounter.

"As a matter of fact I was very angry after the game against Chelsea, so that was my feeling," said Tomori.

"Of course I was happy and it was very good for me to score the goal [against Juventus], but my feeling was still very angry after that performance, and it had to be cancelled out completely.

"And it was a good way in any case to do it by scoring a goal. I think for us we knew that it wasn't us [against Chelsea], we didn't play as we have been playing since I've been here.

Chelsea 3 AC Milan 0 - in pictures

"Especially in a tough game at a big stadium in the Champions League, that's when we want to show it and we didn't really do it. So it was disappointing for us."

Chelsea will always be a special match for Tomori, who came through the Blues' academy after moving to England from Canada when he was still a baby with his Nigerian parents.

Of the recent clutch of British players to arrive in Italy it is probably Tomori who has settled best, an undisputed starter for the seven-time European champions and a man who is enjoying life in Milan.

Tomori had urged Olivier Giroud to come to Italy's economic capital and "win the Scudetto", and the former Blues pair fulfilled that ambition as key men in Stefano Pioli's championship-winning team.

Since arriving from London, Tomori has taken the mantle of injury-plagued Simon Kjaer as the leader of Milan's backline, creating a reliable partnership with France's Pierre Kalulu.

The 24-year-old has developed a strong command over Italian, happily conducting his interview in the language of his adopted country.

Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang clarified his comments on Mikel Arteta after a video showed him criticising the Arsenal manager, saying that he had "a lot of bad feelings" for the north London club at that time but wishes them well now.

The video, which was leaked on social media, showed Aubameyang saying "Big characters and big players ... he can't deal with it. He needs some young players who don't say anything" as the Gabon international spoke about Arteta.

Aubameyang said on Monday that the video was recorded just after he arrived at Barcelona, whom he joined in February on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Arsenal.

"At the time I still had a lot of bad feelings in me – Arsenal are doing great things this season and I wish all my old guys well," tweeted Aubameyang, who signed for Chelsea in September.

"Just not on November 6," he added, referring to Chelsea's London derby against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

The 33-year-old has scored once in the Premier League for Chelsea, who are fourth on 16 points after eight games.