TUCH CAN PUT FEAR OF QUAD INTO PEP
Pulisic says Blues feel unbeatable right now
THEY are a handful of words but could be enough to destroy a dream.
“When you go on a streak like this, you feel like you can beat anyone. It’s a good feeling right now. We have a confident bunch of guys now.” Not the comments of a Manchester City star chasing the Quadruple, but those of Christian Pulisic, a player who could be a big part of bringing to an end that bid for history. When Chelsea and Manchester City were paired in next month’s FA Cup semi-final, it pitted Pep Guardiola against inform boss Thomas Tuchel.
A manager who has not only transformed Chelsea’s season but who has brought the feel-good factor to a squad who believe anything is possible. Who says so? His attacking midfielder Pulisic does. Chelsea swept aside Sheffield United in Sunday’s quarter-final at Stamford Bridge 2-0 in a below-par performance but still one that was good enough to get them over the line.
That stretched Tuchel’s unbeaten run to 14 games in all competitions since taking over from Frank Lampard in January. No other Chelsea manager has ever had a record like it.
They have conceded only two goals in that spell – and one of those was an own goal.
City might be trampling over virtually all opposition, having won 25 of their last 26 games.
They face Tottenham in the Carabao Cup Final next month, have the Premier League title all but wrapped up and face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-finals.
But Tuchel has so far passed every major challenge he has been presented with in his short time in charge at Stamford Bridge.
He has beaten Jose Mourinho at Tottenham, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
That process has helped move Chelsea up from ninth when he took over to fourth now.
Along the way Tuchel has brought back in from the cold stars seemingly banished to the margins under
Lampard, including and Antonio Rudiger.
N’golo Kante looks back to his formidable best, happier in his favourite role sitting in the centre of the midfield in front of his defence rather than being pushed wide to accommodate Jorginho.
At the same time, Tuchel has rotated his squad to give most of his players a chance to show what they have to offer. He has also let them know what he expects in no uncertain terms.
The match at Wembley against City will enable him to lay down a marker as to what his team can achieve next season, when he will have had the summer to strengthen a team that still needs a focal point in attack.
Tuchel hopes that after this international break he will be able to see Tammy Abraham and Thiago Silva fit again, which will further strengthen his hand for the run-in.
Chelsea next face Saturday week.
But right now, the German represents the biggest threat to Guardiola’s Quadruple dream.
Marcos
Alonso
West Brom on