“Not the moment to talk about individual performances” – Tuchel expresses disappointment with Chelsea despite ‘good’ Lukaku display
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has lamented dropping points against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday despite Romelu Lukaku's brace.
The Belgian struck a quickfire double early into the second half to give the Blues a comfortable 2-0 lead by the hour mark. However, the visitors fought back through late goals from Francisco Trincao and Conor Coady, who scored in the seventh minute of extra time.
Although Lukaku stood out for an excellent display, Tuchel was left disappointed with the way his team relinquished their comfortable lead. The Blues manager said about the game, as quoted by Football.London:
"Yeah, but guys. Good performance, but for sure not the moment to talk about individual performances. We lost points."
Lukaku hadn't scored in the league in ten games since netting in back-to-back outings against Aston Villa and Brighton in December. Enjoying a rare start, he ended the drought from the penalty spot in the 56th minute before scoring another shortly thereafter.
Chelsea seemed to be in cruise control of the game only to implode late on as Wolves forced a share of the spoils.
It ends all square.
#CheWol https://t.co/gfdRPnvtqZ
Trincao, who was only been subbed in a few minutes earlier, halved the deficit in the 79th minute by rounding off a counter.
The Blues still led 2-1 and looked on course to take all three points. That was until Coady rounded off a fabulous team move by getting on the end of a sublime cross from Chiquinho, who also bagged the assist for Wolves' first goal.
Chelsea's winless run in the Premier League has now extended to three games. They will next play away at Leeds United on Wednesday.
Top-four place still not in the bag for Chelsea
Until recently, Chelsea were comfortably on their way to sealing third place. However, a series of disappointing results has opened up a chance for other teams to close the gap on Tuchel's men.
The Blues remain in third with 67 points, four clear of Arsenal, who have a game in hand, while Tottenham Hotspur are on 61 and have played a game fewer too.
Chelsea’s last five Premier League games: LWDLD
Now only four points ahead of Arsenal and six ahead of Spurs with one game less in hand 🙃 https://t.co/r57R4obViH
Although Tuchel's side have a relatively easy fixture list to see out their league campaign, their erratic form in recent weeks has made things unpredictable.
The slump in form could not have come at a more inopportune time for the Blues, who take on quadruple-chasing Liverpool in the FA Cup final on May 14.