“He had many ball losses in very promising circumstances” – Tuchel unhappy with Lukaku after Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City
Following Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday, Thomas Tuchel has admitted that striker Romelu Lukaku's performance left him frustrated.
Kevin de Bruyne's second-half strike was enough to seal a 1-0 victory for Pep Guardiola's City at the Etihad. The Cityzens now have a 13-point lead at the top over the second-placed Blues.
The result left Tuchel far from pleased, with the manager slamming his expensive striker’s profligacy in front of goal. The German told the press how he felt about Lukaku’s performance in his post-match conference:
"We had eight or nine offensive transitions, but had zero touches in the box. That was a big problem today, the performance of our front players. A lack of position, timing and composure. We lost too many balls too easily."
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Tuchel further added:
"Romelu Lukaku sometimes needs to [deliver] the service. He is included in this, he had many ball losses in very promising circumstances. He had a huge chance. Of course we want to serve him, but he is part of the team, and the performance up front, we can do much better."
Lukaku's poor performance will not have won him any allies at the club with his recent mediocre run of form following an unsanctioned Sky Italia interview.
Romelu Lukaku had the fewest touches of any player in the first-half of Manchester City vs Chelsea (9).
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The Blues will now move their attention to domestic cups and the Champions League. They now seem more attainable considering the chasm between the west Londoners and City.
Tuchel will hope the Belgian can find his form and at least help guide the Blues to a successful cup run or two come the end of the season.
Chelsea's Premier League title hopes dashed with Manchester City loss
The Blues' defeat at the Etihad has now widened the gap between them and City to over a dozen points in January. Chelsea's chances of lifting the Premier League this season are close to zero at the momen.
Chelsea, however, remain in contention to lift every other competition in club football. The Blues will look to defend their Champions League crown and hopefully add the Carabao cup to their trophy cabinet. The club also remain in the FA Cup and could potentially win the Club World Cup.
Manchester City, on the other hand, will know that they have all but wrapped up the Premier League title race with this victory. Pep Guardiola will now set his sights on the prize that evaded him last season. He will make a push to bring Champions League glory to the Etihad for the first time in their history.