Dropped out of PSG before Christmas, Thomas Tuchel must revel in the revenge he takes on his former club, even indirectly.
Although arrived during the season for 18 months, the German succeeds in London in a demonstration to make his former employer pale.
And, way of granting himself an additional merit bonus, Tuchel did not fail to insist last week on the superiority of the Premier League, compared to Ligue 1.
“I think Tuchel has a grudge against PSG and France, but we can't hide everything,” explains Emmanuel Petit, RMC Sport consultant for the Premier League.
When he says that at Chelsea, everyone is working in the same direction, giving their all to training, being very professional, this echoes the thoughts of many coaches who went through the French championship before going into exile.
“Still, under the Tuchel era, the Blues straighten their heads and considerably improve their statistics.
First C1 semi-final since 2014 for Chelsea
Out of arms n ° 1, Tuchel brought back the Blues immediately in the European elite after seven years of absence. Winner of the 2012 edition, Chelsea had not passed the round of 16 since their half of 2014, lost to Atlético de Madrid (0-0, 1-3). Well placed after the 1-1 of the first leg at Real, can the Londoners target the final? “In the Champions League, the music is different, objected Petit. Real, by the weight of its history and the experience of its players, has permanent resources in this competition. He is able to overturn the table. "
In the league, the Blues are turning green again. 9th at the arrival of the German, Chelsea are today in 4th place, 2 points behind 3rd, Leicester, whom he will receive twice soon: in the Cup final on May 15, then in the league on 19 may. In 15 matches, Tuchel has won 9 times and has lost only once. The defense is on guard, with only 8 goals conceded including five against West Bromwich Albion (5-2) - 10 against 11 after the expulsion of Thiago Silva (29th). Edouard Mendy, the former Rennes goalkeeper, has 11 clean sheets. “We saw immediately that the players responded positively to what Tuchel wanted to put in place, underlines Petit. In particular a wild pressing when the ball is lost, preferably in the opposing camp. Then, in the management of the ball,his team is able to play the fast transition like setting the foot on the ball and setting a tempo. "
𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱.
🥶 @ cpulisic_10 💥
Back at it in the #UCL tomorrow night! #ThePrideOfLondon |
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- Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 4, 2021
Undefeated against the competition
In addition to a draw (0-0) against 2nd, Manchester United, Tuchel has so far pinned all direct competitors on the podium: Tottenham (1-0), Everton (2-0), Liverpool (1-0) and West Ham (1-0). He also dominated Manchester City in the semi-final of the Cup (1-0), while waiting to return to challenge the future champion at the Etihad in the Premier League, this Saturday. “Chelsea are neither infallible nor unbeatable, but very difficult to handle on the tactical level, continues Petit. Their reference match may be their Cup half, in which City were powerless. The Citizens had possession but struggled to get into the box and, in the end, Chelsea hurt them every time they came out. "
Chelsea Tuchel sauce scores just failing to score much, 20 goals in 15 games. “There are some really good players in all lines and some great ones, like Mason Mount,” said Petit. But the weak point lies in the offensive efficiency. This team needs a lot of chances to score. In the summer transfer window, Chelsea had mainly targeted offensive recruits (Editor's note: Havertz, Werner, Ziyech) some of whom gave only 50% of their potential. I do not know what will consist of their next transfer window but there will be back and forth. If they can get stronger offensively, I think Chelsea will fight for the title next season. "