Yahoo News Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel bemoans dropped points as Premier League title race hots up
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was left to bemoan two dropped points as the Premier League title race tightened heading into the crucial month of December.
The Blues’ 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon sees them remain top of the table, but the gap to defending champions Manchester City closed to a single point after they beat West Ham earlier in the day, while Liverpool are only a point further adrift in third after thrashing Southampton 4-0 on Saturday.
Both Liverpool and City swept United aside in the final doomed days of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, but Chelsea - who also dropped points at home to Burnley earalier this month - found a side set up in more conservative fashion by caretaker boss Michael Carrick a tougher nut to crack.
“Yes, for sure,” Tuchel said, when asked whether it felt more like two points dropped than one gained. “It’s hard to imagine we could lose this – or drop points – because we were the better team, the team that set the rhythm, the intensity, and had high ball wins.
“We are disappointed but we have no regrets. This can happen in football, we know it. It doesn’t feel good when it happens but it’s like this. I’ve told the team I am happy with the performance and the way we played.”
Tuchel’s thoughts were echoed by winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who missed a superb chance to open the scoring when denied by David de Gea inside five minutes, after which the hosts enjoyed plenty of possession but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
“I feel like it’s two vital points dropped,” he said. “It was just the last bit in the box really. We did everything else really well. Our build-up play was good, even around the box at time, but it was just the last bit that we missed and scoring that goal that we needed.”
In the end, Chelsea needed Jorginho’s penalty to even claim a point after the Italian’s error in miscontrolling a high ball had allowed Jadon Sancho to run clear and put United ahead, a mistake Tuchel blamed on the Stamford Bridge floodlights.
“It’s very unusual a mistake like this and to concede a goal for us in general, especially because of Jorgi,” Tuchel added. “I think he misjudged the situation and I think he was heavily disturbed by the lights, so he didn’t see the ball in the end. It happened.
“It takes a lot of courage and personality not to be affected during the match and to have the courage to take the penalty for the equaliser at a crucial moment. I am very happy he did it.”
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