Thomas Tuchel admits feeling ‘very tired’ by Chelsea’s fixture congestion

Thomas Tuchel has admitted feeling ‘very tired’ by Chelsea’s recent fixture pile-up and insisted a top-four finish was still far from guaranteed.

The Blues’ 4-2 defeat at home to Arsenal on Wednesday night was their fifth in 15 days – a stretch which included both ties of the Champions League quarter-finals and an FA Cup semi-final – and the German conceded the fixture congestion had taken its toll from a mental standpoint.

‘We only had two days between the games coming from Wembley and I felt very tired after the Southampton, Real Madrid and then the Wembley game,’ Tuchel said in his press conference on Friday.

‘I felt it. I asked myself what signals I gave and whether I should’ve pushed harder. On an evening game, I think there is still enough time to prepare and get into the right mood.’ 

Games continue to come and thick and fast for Chelsea, who host West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, before facing Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday and traveling to Goodison Park three days later. 

Tuchel admitted the amount of games in such a short space of time made it difficult for players and coaches to maintain the same level of intensity.

The German said he needed to address Chelsea’s poor home form, as the Blues are on their worst losing streak at Stamford Bridge in 29 years 

‘You don’t always feel the same level of excitement before every match, you shouldn’t expect it,’ he continued.

However, he insisted his players took each game seriously: ‘We trust ourselves and prepare with the best way possible.’

The Blues are third in the table, five points clear of fourth-placed Tottenham and with a game in hand on their London rivals but Tuchel warned his players against thinking they have already secured a Champions League spot.

Chelsea’s defeat against Arsenal on Wednesday was their straight loss at home

‘I never feel safe in the Premier League,’ he continued.

‘Feeling secure does not keep you on the edge, not fully alert. I never feel safe at any part of the season and nobody should in the Premier League.’

The loss to Arsenal was Chelsea’s third straight defeat at Stamford Bridge following losses to Brentford and Real Madrid. The Blues are on their worst home run in 29 years, a losing streak Tuchel was at a loss to explain. 

Chelsea secured a spot in the FA Cup final last week, beating Crystal Palace 2-0

‘It’s obvious that we are behind and it’s very unusual for me over the last years, I don’t know what it is […] But it’s obviously not at the level we want to produce,’ he said.

Of the 12 goals Chelsea have conceded following the international break last month, 11 have come in those three defeats and the German said his side’s uncharacteristically porous defence an issue he needed to address.

‘The expected goals we concede since the international break is a bit higher than normal, and that is on me, tactics, pressing,’ he said.

‘We conceded since the international break 12 goals, which is double the amount of expected goals.’