GOLDEN TUCH ‘After two defeats we had to perform
THOMAS TUCHEL was jumping with joy as a late double blast sent Chelsea back to the Premier League
summit.
Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell were both on target in the closing stages to secure the Blues’ first win in three games in all competitions.
While that was harsh on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton, who had skipper James Ward
Prowse sent off with the score locked at 1-1, Tuchel could scarcely contain his delight.
For even on a rollercoaster afternoon for the Chelsea manager, he ended up victorious with vital points in the bag and his team at the summit – at least this morning.
Tuchel, booked before the break for complaining about a disallowed Werner effort, beamed: “This was very important win for us.
“After two defeats we had to make sure we were not too sad and down. We had to perform better than in those games.
“We had to sharpen our mindset and have the attitude that we were playing with nothing to lose.
“The players out there did not feel the pressure.” Without a league win after seven games is the worst start to a season in Saints’ history but Hasenhuttl had few complaints about their efforts here.
Hasenhuttl said: “We put in a brave display against a very tough opponent.
“We were much better in the second half but it was a shame we didn’t finish it off.
“I haven’t seen the sending off back so I can’t really comment yet but he’s our skipper and is upset in there.”
Both bosses were ranting inside the opening five minutes at their sides’ inadequacies, yet it was Tuchel celebrating in the sixth.
Chilwell, who had been on the end of a Tuchel tantrum after failing to overlap, swung in the corner,
Ruben Loftus-cheek flicked on and Trevoh Chalobah stooped to head in at the far post.
Had Antonio Rudiger found the target 12 minutes later from another Chilwell corner, the Blues might have been out of sight.
But then had Ward-prowse’s 25-yard rocket scraped the inside of Edouard Mendy’s upright as opposed to the outside, the Saints would have been back in the contest. Chilwell, racing on the outside, almost added a goal to his highly-eventful half-hour, but was denied by Alex Mccarthy.
And then on 35 minutes, Romelu Lukaku was ruled a yard offside while tucking away Rudiger’s reverse pass.
In between, Hasenhuttl berated Theo Walcott after he flashed wide from Nathan Tella’s cross.
It was that sort of afternoon for the coaches – as Tuchel’s yellow underlined ahead of halftime. His sin? Pointing to the big screen
in disagreement with VAR official Mike Dean and referee Martin Atkinson for chalking off Werner’s header for Cesar Azpilicueta’s foul on Kyle Walker-peters in the build-up.
Both decisions were soft. However, that was not the case with the 60th-minute spot-kick that brought the Saints level.
Chilwell was the culprit, tripping Valentino Livramento – and Wardprowse sent Mendy wrong way.
Ward-prowse was dismissed in 76th minute, via Stockley Park’s intervention, for a studs-up slide into Jorginho’s left Achilles.
That turned proceedings in the Blues’ favour as Werner fired in at the near post and then Chilwell’s angled volley crossed the line.
We had to sharpen our mindset and have the attitude that we had nothing to lose. We did not feel the pressure.