Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that he failed to do what was expected of him in their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.

It was a third consecutive loss for the Blues in games that they were expected to win.

Tuchel’s men have failed to keep a clean sheet for six games in a row and their attack was as uninspiring despite high-profile signings’ presence.

Even Tuchel himself lost for words during his post-match interview as he reiterated that he shares some of the blame.

Dinamo Zagreb v Chelsea FC: Group E - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images

“I don’t know…” the manager told Chelsea TV when asked how he expects his team to respond after the defeat.

“It’s a clear underperformance. I’m here to make them overperform, so it’s on me, I take responsibility.

“This is not what we want, this is not who we are. Individually and as a team, it’s not good enough.”

During his press conference, Tuchel added that he did not expect such a poor performance from his team based on what he saw in training sessions.

Dinamo Zagreb v Chelsea FC: Group E - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images

“I thought that the last game helped us, we showed a reaction in a very difficult moment against West Ham,” the German explained (via the club’s official website).

“We were lucky in a situation where you need a little bit of luck, and we had good training sessions.

“I thought the team were prepared.”

This is clearly not a one-off, however, considering their recent performance, so Tuchel will have plenty of work ahead of Saturday’s derby against Fulham.

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