“It's better they shoot than me" - Timo Werner reveals why he did not take penalty for Chelsea against Aston Villa
Chelsea striker Timo Werner has revealed why he refused to take part in the penalty shootout against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The German forward disclosed that a knock prevented him from taking a spot-kick.
Werner scored Chelsea's only goal in normal time with a perfectly timed header in the 54th minute before Aston Villa equalized to send the game into penalties.
Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount, Ross Barkley, Ben Chilwell and Reece James all stepped up to take penalties in the shootout but Werner was conspicuous in his absence.
"I had some pain in my calf but with only three substitutes, I couldn’t go off," Timo Werner explained after the match.
Timo Werner:
"A goal opens the game very often. The first half both teams were a little passive, they don't know what to do because there were a lot of changes from both teams."
[via @ChelseaFC]
"But when you have fit players on the pitch, it’s better they shoot than me."
Nevertheless, Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel will be happy with Werner's contribution on the night. Speaking before Wednesday's encounter, Tuchel had reiterated his belief in the German striker amid growing calls from fans to sell the 25-year-old.
"He [Werner] gave us a clear impression of how dangerous he and Romelu can be together. The stuff that you don’t see, in training sessions, he’s more relaxed, more fluid in his movements, with more confidence," Tuchel had said.
Goal for Chelsea, scored by Werner.
🔵 1-0 🟣 [54'] #CarabaoCup
"Timo was in a better position and we've had him in dangerous positions around Romelu. And he got an assist… he moves smart, he’s free and his decision making is with more confidence… Hopefully he can push himself and keep that momentum going."
Chelsea continue to fight on all fronts
Chelsea have gotten their season off to a remarkable start. Thomas Tuchel's men currently sit atop the Premier League table with 13 points, having claimed four victories and one draw from five games.
They also kicked off their Champions League campaign on a promising note, beating Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 last week. Following their 4-3 triumph in the shootout against Aston Villa yesterday, Chelsea are still competing on all fronts.
The Blues host champions Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.