“Doesn’t matter”: Chelsea manager reveals if unbeaten streak impacts their mentality going into games

Thomas Tuchel gives verdict on unbeaten streak impacting Chelsea players’ mindset in upcoming matches

Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, was speaking to the official Chelsea club media on Sunday and revealed that it is natural for his players to be overwhelmed by the task of protecting their unbeaten streak.

Since Tuchel’s arrival in January in place of Frank Lampard, the Blues have not lost a single game. The streak is now up to 13 games in all competitions under the German’s reign.

And this includes statement victories over Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (twice), and Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The streak has slowly gotten to a point where the numbers cannot be ignored. But Tuchel says he does not want his players to be fearful of protecting what they have achieved rather than showing hunger in matches for a win.

“I don’t want to get into the situation where the fear of losing is bigger than the hunger to win, so we look too much at what we have achieved and want to protect what we have.”

Go for the kill

Tuchel is human, and he knows his players are too. That is why he agrees that a streak as long as this can affect the team.

Nevertheless, he has sent a strong message to his players that they should go for wins instead of just trying to keep the streak alive.

“If it is 13, 14, 15 games or whatever doesn’t matter, except that it’s natural that it sometimes affects you, maybe you step back and you want to protect it, but I want us always to be brave and always to refocus to go for the next win, not to avoid the loss that kills our record.”

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• Chelsea want new centre-back next season, three names shortlisted

Chelsea have a chance to stretch that streak to 14 when they meet Sheffield United in the FA Cup on Sunday. The Blues are in the quarter-final and have a golden chance to go all the way in a competition which they last won in 2018.