Report: Tuchel did something 'unusual' before Chelsea's game with Tottenham, it had big impact on the players
Chelsea players clearly responded extremely well to the rest period awarded to them by Thomas Tuchel ahead of the triumph over Tottenham Hotspur.
The German coach allowed the squad two days off after the draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, having highlighted the tiredness of his soldiers.
Tuchel takes it easy
According to one of The Athletic’s sources, Tuchel also took extra measures to ensure the team were fully prepared to face Tottenham.
“He also took unusual the step of asking the players to come in on late Sunday morning, the day of the game,” they said.
LEAVE RASHFORD ALONE.
“Normally for the big games he likes to get everyone together and they stay the night at a hotel.”
This additional period of recovery and relaxation worked wonders.
“You could tell it had made the difference from the moment players arrived,” continued The Athletic source.
“Everyone was fresher, more energised. The atmosphere was really good, the best it’s been for a long time. And it showed with the way they played.”
The taking apart of Tottenham
Chelsea looked undeniably the sharper side at Stamford Bridge, beating Spurs to pretty much every loose ball or 50/50 duel.
They looked up for the fight, whereas against Brighton, heads were down and the mood was solemn.
Spurred on by the home support, the Blues blitz passed their guests in the second half, thanks to a mesmerising strike from Hakim Ziyech and Thiago Silva’s guided header.
Ziyech allowed himself to celebrate such a wonderous effort, having failed to even crack a smile after scoring in the previous fixture.
Happy Chelsea camp
Romelu Lukaku looked more involved than usual, despite his touch map suggesting otherwise.
Mason Mount ran with freedom and energy, something that was sapped out of him in the Brighton match.
Callum Hudson-Odoi threatened all evening, Cesar Azpilicueta bombed up and down the line, Mateo Kovacic was classy once again.
Everything fell into place once the second half got underway.
It goes to show that even footballers needed to put their feet up once in a while.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
