Chelsea reworked as Thomas Tuchel outwits Europe’s greatest coaches

It began with Jose Mourinho. Then got here Diego Simeone, twice, adopted by Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti and, most not too long ago, Pep Guardiola.
Five of the sharpest teaching minds in European soccer, all outwitted by Thomas Tuchel because the German took cost of Chelsea in late January.
Indeed, Tuchel’s staff didn’t even concede a objective in these wins over Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City throughout a three-month interval that has seen Chelsea reworked from a defensively shaky facet to certainly probably the most sturdy in Europe.
Ignoring the stats-busting 5-2 loss to West Bromwich Albion, when Chelsea performed virtually an hour with simply 10 males due to Thiago Silva’s sending-off, and the staff has let in simply 4 targets in 20 video games below Tuchel.
They are superb numbers that spotlight the duty awaiting Real Madrid — and its personal storied coach, Zinedine Zidane — heading into the Champions League semifinals beginning on Tuesday, when the primary leg takes place in Spain.
“If it’s not possible to play our nicest match, we are able to not let the opponent play their best match. That’s also a definition of performance,” Tuchel stated Monday.
“So we have a strong bond within the squad, I feel we are very, very involved physically in the games, ready to work together, to suffer together.”

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea file in opposition to prime managers is unimaginable.
Zero targets conceded 🤯 pic.twitter.com/44a73bO8xu
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 18, 2021
IN FROM THE COLD
Tuchel had barely 24 hours with the squad earlier than taking cost of his first sport because the substitute for Frank Lampard and he made a direct choice to carry again two skilled defenders who had been out of favor. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger — rugged, disciplined and no-nonsense defenders — began the 0-0 draw in opposition to Wolverhampton on Jan. 27 and have been mainstays ever since. A change to a again three has seen Azpilicueta and Rudiger play both facet of Thiago Silva, providing safety to the 36-year-old Brazilian who’s new to the English sport following his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and maybe weak to its relentless depth. Even when Silva has been absent and Andreas Christensen has stuffed in in the course of the three, the defensive construction has been rock stable. “Most important is quality and commitment, doing the things which are necessary to do,” Tuchel stated. “Can I help to cover my teammate when he is going for a challenge? Do I play my role and be 100% reliable? Can the defensive guys rely on the midfielders? Can the midfielders rely on the strikers? This is a clear yes.”
REMODELLED SYSTEM
Helping the protection has been Tuchel’s choice to station two deeper-lying central midfielders as protectors. On Tuesday, that shall be N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, with Mateo Kovacic out injured. The two sitting midfielders not often quit house in entrance of the protection and canopy both facet when the wing backs — usually Ben Chilwell on the left and Reece James on the best — pour ahead. It has been an immovable construction that has helped strangle opponents and power them to play wider. Even Manchester City struggled to create a clear-cut probability at Wembley Stadium when Chelsea gained 1-0 within the FA Cup semifinals.

Since Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea:
✅ Into the Premier League prime 4✅ Into the UCL semifinals✅ Into the FA Cup last
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/z8qWsBHJqD
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 24, 2021
FLOATING FRONT LINE
Typifying this new relentless work ethic is the make-up of Tuchel’s entrance three, which now not has room for an out-and-out goal man like Olivier Giroud or Tammy Abraham. Instead, the popular trio now seems to be Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, cellular gamers glad to trace again and who worth the defensive work virtually as a lot as what they do going ahead. Chelsea’s attacking numbers have but to hit the heights below Tuchel because of this. “I think when the results are going well, not many questions can be asked,” Pulisic stated. “It is great to watch entertaining, attacking and free-flowing football all the time but when it gets to the end of the season, results matter.”
COMPETITION FOR PLACES
No participant is certain of their place below Tuchel — even in objective. First-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has twice misplaced his place to Kepa Arrizabalaga for back-to-back FA Cup and Premier League video games. There is common rotation within the wing-back position whereas the entrance three frequently adjustments, with Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi coming into the staff. It is protecting the gamers on the toes, and protecting everybody concerned. “It makes the bond very, very strong, very close,” Tuchel stated.