How Tuchel turned Chelsea around in space of five games

Tweaks, reviving Werner and massaging egos have put Champions League qualification in club’s hands

htactical Three at the back

Thomas Tuchel’s first big change was to reintroduce a version of Antontio Conte’s back three, with Cesar Azpilicueta returning to the right of the central three and Callum Hudson-odoi converting to a right wing-back.

As Victor Moses did under Conte, Hudson-odoi has flourished in his new role and his inclusion, along with the reintroduction of Marcos Alonso on the left, has made Chelsea a threat on the flanks. Azpilicueta has been more comfortable back in his old position, while Thiago Silva, before his injury, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger have all performed well, with Rudiger’s own goal against Sheffield United the only time they have been breached.

Asked what Tuchel was demanding of his defence, Christensen said: “All he says is just be comfortable. If you don’t need to play the ball, you don’t have to. Know what you’re going to do and make it happen.”

Two 10s and Timo

Timo Werner broke his 14-game league goal drought against Newcastle on Monday and also had a hand in Olivier Giroud’s opener.

It had become clear well before Tuchel’s arrival that the forward was not comfortable playing as a sole central striker and Frank Lampard had moved him out to the left, where he enjoyed some success earlier in the season. But Werner could not get into the box so easily playing further wide on the left and his move inside as one of two 10s behind the striker has helped him.

Even when he has not been scoring under Tuchel (right), Werner won crucial penalties against Tottenham and Sheffield United, and has also been creating chances, as well as missing them. Now he has finally taken one, Tuchel will hope the goals start to flow again.

Political gain

Tuchel is not renowned for being a great football politician, following fall-outs with his former clubs, but Chelsea’s new head coach has added his own diplomacy.

Alonso had not played since September before being brought in from the cold, and Rudiger, who Lampard had wanted to sell, has also been a mainstay of Tuchel’s early reign. Perhaps the biggest political move was to hand Kepa Arrizabalaga his first Premier League start since October against Newcastle. A second successive clean sheet, having kept out Barnsley in the FA Cup, gave Kepa a boost as he immediately reopened the replies on his latest Twitter message. Although Edouard Mendy remains Tuchel’s No1, Kepa clearly feels encouraged.

Christensen said: “People have to show themselves to play, in training, in games when they get the chance. Everyone is pushing and maybe that is why we are in form.”

Rivals faltering

Chelsea always believed they were capable of putting a run together and it should be noted they went 17 games unbeaten under Lampard earlier this season. But what nobody had expected was for Liverpool to implode and Tottenham to slide down the table. Even with four wins from five league games under Tuchel, Chelsea would have still been expected to be some way short of Liverpool.

Favourable fixtures

Chelsea would have studied the fixture list before changing their head coach and concluded the run of games they are in offered the best possible chance of a new-manager bounce. And so it has proved.

But beware…

No Chelsea manager is ever more than three games away from a potential crisis and Tuchel knows that, having got Chelsea back into the top four, the hard work starts here. Lampard was shocked by how quickly confidence dissolved when Chelsea lost their long unbeaten run at Goodison Park in December and the squad need to prove they can recover better from setbacks.