Tuchel thrilled by character shown by Blues
CHELSEA manager Thomas Tuchel hailed his side’s character to come from behind at half-time to defeat champions-elect Manchester City last night.
The German watched in horror at the Blues’ capitulation in the first half when they conceded to Raheem Sterling’s opener on 44 minutes.
Tuchel’s frustration increased just before half-time when Billy Gilmour conceded a penalty that Sergio Aguero inexplicably chipped into the arms of Edouard Mendy.
Gilmour and his Chelsea team-mates, however rallied in the second half to the delight of Tuchel.
The 19-year-old Scot was particularly impressive in midfield after quickly shrugging off his error before half-time.
‘I was impressed by the reaction and the performance in the second half,’ said the Chelsea boss. ‘To me it was a clear 0-0 half but, suddenly, we did one decisive mistake and maybe the match becomes out of reach at half-time.
‘With every minute, we gained confidence and quality. We got better and better. It was a tough battle and once we got the equaliser we never stopped attacking. The winning goal was a huge reward.
‘This tells us we can rely on our fitness which is a fantastic feeling at the end of a season. We can also rely on our team spirit, we keep going. This team never stops, they don’t want to lose, they want it that bad.’
The Blues escaped a late City shout for a penalty with three minutes remaining when referee Anthony Taylor waved away the hosts’ appeals for a foul by Kurt Zouma on Sterling.
Tuchel added: ‘If you want to steal all three points here after being down, you need a bit of luck, decisions from the referee.
‘It was a bit like this, but we had some chances in the second half and a big congratulations to the team.’
However, it was not all good news for Tuchel as he lost Danish defender Andreas Christensen to a hamstring injury before the break.
‘He was injured some weeks ago with the same injury. I hope that it’s not too bad and we get him back because he is so crucial,’ added Tuchel.