“Effort and discipline”- Tuchel breaks down Chelsea’s hard-fought victory over Newcastle

Thomas Tuchel gives his verdict as Chelsea down Newcastle United

Speaking in the post-match presser (h/t Football.London), Thomas Tuchel has provided an analysis of the game as Chelsea beat Newcastle United by a 3-0 scoreline to strengthen their hold at the top of the Premier League table.

The win saw the Premier League leaders extend their lead at the top as the chasing pack, Liverpool and Manchester City, both dropped points in their respective games. The Blues sit top with 25 points after ten games and have a three-point lead over the Reds in the second spot.

Tuchel admits that he is happy with the performance of the team who admittedly had to grind out the win. He mentioned how it was his players’ off the ball movements that especially impressed him on the night.

“I am happy today with our performance off the ball, this was key from the first minute to the last minute. The effort and discipline we put into the moments without the ball were key today.”

The German coach also gave an insight into what happened during the build-up to the goals in the second half. He focused on how finding space is always important and the flexibility of the roles between the players.

“We have players in all the spaces in which we want to be dangerous. So if there is a winger waiting wide, the wing-back is absolutely allowed to attack the half-space. We need the wing-backs to arrive in the box at the end of attacks to increase the chance of scoring and creating goal chances.”

Reece James was the hero on the night for Chelsea. His brace set the tone for what was eventually a comfortable 3-0 win for the Blues. Despite not being at their best, the Blues continue to eke out the results.

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The German manager is delighted with the way his team played and the fans would be too. The supporters would be boosted by the three-point lead, however, a large part of the season is still ahead. The team has shown that they are willing to get their hands dirty if needed.