“This is the huge difference” – Thomas Tuchel highlights reason why Manchester City are ahead of Chelsea at the moment
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel believes Manchester City's luck with fewer injuries and COVID-19 cases is why they are in a commanding position in the Premier League.
The Blues have had significant absentees in recent weeks. The likes of Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku and Ben Chilwell have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, Chilwell is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to knee surgery.
Speaking to the press ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash against Manchester City, Tuchel said:
"Maybe, who knows. They have dealt better with injuries and the COVID situation. Maybe it's luck or they do it better. They have had less injuries and less weeks they missed them. They did not suffer from COVID as we did over many weeks, this is the huge difference."
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Despite missing key personnel earlier in the month, Tuchel will be able to pick the likes of Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante in the team. The duo missed Chelsea's 2-0 Carabao Cup first-leg win over Tottenham Hotspur and their 5-1 FA Cup third-round thrashing of Chesterfield.
Both Silva and Kante featured for the Blues during their 1-0 win over Spurs in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
Chelsea have secured a safe passage to the Carabao Cup final following a 3-0 aggregate win over Spurs in the semi-final. They will face either Liverpool or Arsenal in the showpiece match at Wembley Stadium.
Chelsea's trip to Manchester City is crucial in regards to the title race
Chelsea's game against Manchester City is crucial for the Blues to remain in the title race. Thomas Tuchel's side are currently second in the Premier League standings and are 10 points behind City.
It is worth noting that the Blues faced another title rival in Liverpool earlier in the month, where they secured a 2-2 draw. Due to the draw and other underwhelming results in December, Chelsea are on the cusp of losing more ground to Manchester City.
Third-placed Liverpool are currently just a point behind Thomas Tuchel's side. The Reds have a game in hand over their rivals as well.
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Pep Guardiola's side have already defeated the European champions earlier this season when they secured a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge back in September. A solitary goal from Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus was enough for the defending champions to secure all three points.