Tuchel calls on Chelsea to hunt down champions

Thomas Tuchel insists Chelsea remain the hunters rather than the hunted when it comes to taking on Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Tuchel has stolen a march on his rivals by sealing the £97.5million transfer of striker Romelu Lukaku while City are still at loggerheads with Tottenham over an even more expensive acquisition of Harry Kane. But Tuchel pointed to last season’s league table, in which Chelsea finished 19 points behind City, as proof that they remain a work in progress. “We have some gaps to close,” he said. “I hope and want that we play with the mentality to hunt Man City, Man United and Liverpool, not from January but from Saturday onwards. We see ourselves as hunters and challengers.”

Lukaku is in quarantine, which could give a start to Tammy Abraham at home to Crystal Palace today.