Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has commented on Conor Gallagher’s first-half dismissal, which he claimed “almost killed” their 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday.
The 10-man Blues side eventually won the game, but they certainly had to dig in to secure the three points.
Chelsea were dominant early in the game, but Leicester City had more goalscoring opportunities and even finished the game with more possession of the ball.
Having one fewer player on the pitch after just 28 minutes obviously had a big impact.
Tuchel did not hide that it was simply poor decisions by Gallagher, although he refused to solely blame the young midfielder.
“Today he is responsible for what he did, and he knows it was a huge mistake,” the manager said after the game (via the club’s official website)
“We spoke briefly after the game, and things like this happen.
“It’s not purely his fault alone because it was a set-piece for us, and it’s sloppy how we take set-pieces at the moment.
“We lack belief and precision, so it’s not good enough.
“We give chances away, we are sloppy in the coverage and bad in decision-making, so we have to stop and improve immediately.
“We are on it with the team, so I don’t know why it happened again. It’s a very bad decision for Conor, so of course, he’s upset because it almost kills a whole football match.”
Two Chelsea players outstanding against Leicester
Fortunately for Chelsea, Raheem Sterling’s finishing and positioning, as well as Thiago Silva’s defensive prowess, made the difference.
Silva, in particular, won an impressive nine out of 10 duels, and made five tackles and four interceptions throughout the game.
Tuchel was certainly impressed by the Brazil international’s display, describing him as “one of the best” defenders in the box.
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