Latest Chelsea News: Thomas Tuchel, the manager of Chelsea, has explained why Timo Werner did not play for the Blues in their FA Cup final match against Liverpool on May 14.
The disappointing loss for Tuchel’s team came in the form of a penalty shootout loss to the Reds (6-5). Given that a result quite identical to this one had taken place in the Carabao Cup final back in February, there was a feeling of déjà vu. As was the case on Wednesday, the match was scoreless after 120 minutes and went to penalties. The Reds emerged victorious with an 11-10 scoreline.
Romelu Lukaku, Christian Pulisic, and Marcos Alonso were among the Chelsea players who passed up excellent scoring opportunities. But, they failed to demonstrate a deadly instinct.
Werner was given a spot on the substitutes’ bench. Many people had anticipated that the German striker would enter the game at some point. Nevertheless, players like Hakim Ziyech, Ross Barkley, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were used in place of him rather than using him as a replacement.
The attacker who once played for RB Leipzig has shown signs of improvement as the season has progressed. In his past five Premier League outings, he has found the back of the net four times.
What did Thomas Tuchel say?
The reason why Werner did not take part in the match against Liverpool has been explained by Tuchel, who told reporters (via 90min):
“Timo said that he could not participate after suffering an injury and being uncomfortable during the warm-up.”
Kai Havertz, another German, was sidelined due to injury and did not play in the game. The 22-year-old forward has scored 13 goals for Chelsea this season. Thus, he made 45 total appearances across all competitions. He is tied for the team’s lead in scoring. Kai is tied for first place with Mason Mount. He has scored 13 goals over the course of 52 matches.
Tuchel has provided insight on the injury problem that the attacker was dealing with, which caused him to miss the FA Cup final:
“Yesterday, Kai did not work out because he has been having issues with his hamstring. He was afraid that he might hurt himself if he trained. We waited until the last feasible moment, which was this morning. But unfortunately, it was not possible.”
The fact that Chelsea did not pose a threat to Liverpool demonstrates the need of making offensive improvements
During the tense final of the FA Cup, Chelsea had several opportunities to score but was unable to do so. Even though they had ten shots on goal, only two of them were on target.
It has brought to light a problem that the team has been dealing with all throughout the season. Lukaku, Pulisic, and Werner are just some of the players who have let their teams down in front of goal.
Although Chelsea’s defense seemed strong against Liverpool’s explosive offense, the Blues’ offensive performance on the day was less than stellar.
Two of Thomas Tuchel’s defenders are expected to leave Stamford Bridge before the conclusion of the summer transfer window. It is already proving to be difficult for the manager.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Antonio Rudiger will be playing in La Liga after signing with Real Madrid. According to yet another story penned by the writer, Andreas Christensen is planning to sign with Barcelona.
It is also unknown what will happen to Marcos Alonso. Romano has reported that the Spaniard wants to go back to his own country. This adds another layer of ambiguity to the situation.
As a result, addressing the evident issues in the attack may not be the primary emphasis over the next summer. But it certainly makes Tuchel’s work more difficult in preparation for the upcoming season.
