‘We lacked belief’: Furious Thomas Tuchel slams Chelsea stars for first defeat of the season to Man City and insists ‘it was not a good performance on any level’
- Chelsea were beaten for the first time this season at home against Man City
- Gabriel Jesus scored the only goal of the game as City took a slender victory
- Thomas Tuchel has admitted his side lost confidence as the match went on
- Pep Guardiola now has more victories as City manager than anyone in history
Thomas Tuchel admitted his side ‘lacked belief’ as Manchester City brought Chelsea’s unbeaten start to a shuddering end.
Chelsea failed to register a shot on target at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon and succumb to Gabriel Jesus’ winner shortly after half-time.
Tuchel suggested they played with fear and accepted that he will also question his own decision to operate conservatively against the Premier League champions.
Thomas Tuchel has lamented the performance his Chelsea side put in against Man City
‘We lacked belief and a confidence to escape,’ said the German. ‘With every mistake we made, we lost more and more confidence.
‘We played with a mentality that we had something to lose. It was not a good performance on any level if you want to deserve a result.
‘We were so unprecise. We’re in it together, we win and lose together. I’ll ask the question of myself if it was the right shape but I’m not sure the shape was decisive to the result.’
Gabriel Jesus’ second-half winner was enough for Man City to beat Chelsea 1-0 in west London
The Brazilian striker’s second-half strike deflected off Jorginho and past Edouard Mendy
Pep Guardiola now has more victories as City manager than anyone in history after breaking the 220 recorded by Les McDowell – and doing so in 227 fewer matches.
‘I’m so proud,’ Guardiola said. ‘I share it with all the people in the club for the years we have been together. All the staff, backroom staff.
‘Always we do it for the benefit of the club. To do it here, at the Champions League winners and especially for the way we played.
‘We have the courage, personality, we’ve never lost that since day one because it doesn’t mean play good or bad but the way we played in every single game. Even in defeat.
‘The way the players have responded in these five years we have been together makes me so proud. That’s why we have this record.’
City head for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night, before a crunch trip to Anfield to face Liverpool next weekend.
Saturday’s win in west London represents a huge fillip after criticism following last weekend’s goalless draw against Southampton.
The result earned Pep Guardiola a revenge win over Tuchel after the Champions League loss
‘We have to prove ourselves like we have done over these years,’ Guardiola added. ‘These years have been incredible.
‘I want to believe what I feel. The nicest thing from our point of view is I still have the feeling that our players are here again to do a good season for ourselves and for our people.’
Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta echoed Tuchel’s disappointment after a missed opportunity to pull away from City.
‘It was not our best performance,’ Azpilicueta said. ‘Especially in the first half it was hard to get out. We didn’t create chances and lost the ball too easily. After the goal we had a good reaction, but it was not enough to get something from the game.
‘They were at their best level. We couldn’t keep the ball as we like to do. We made so many mistakes, ones that we normally don’t make.
‘We are two great teams with great players and great ambition. Now we have to analyse what we didn’t do that well and move on to the next game. We didn’t lose the league today. If we’d have won we wouldn’t have won the league today either.’
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