On this exact day last year, Thomas Tuchel took charge of Chelsea for the first time following Frank Lampard’s unfortunate sacking. After beating Luton Town 3-1 in the FA Cup, the club’s record goal-scorer was sacked after a run of two wins in eight matches that left them in midtable. His sacking was announced on 25th January, and the next day, Tuchel was announced as his replacement. The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG manager was free since December after the latter fired him.
First season: Steadying the sinking Chelsea ship
Tuchel’s first game as Chelsea’s head coach came at home against Wolves. The match was a lowkey 0-0 draw, but it gave us a glimpse of what was to come. The visitors were restricted to zero shots on target as Chelsea showed a defensive structure that was sorely lacking in Lampard’s tenure. His first win came in the next match against Burnley. Tuchel built on that new-found defensive stability to go on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions, surpassing Luiz Felipe Scholari’s club record of 12 unbeaten. That unbeaten run included impressive away wins at Spurs and Liverpool.
When the unbeaten run ended, Chelsea had already propelled from ninth to fourth in the table, secured safe passage to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Chelsea’s run was unexpectedly ended by West Brom at the Bridge. They bounced back immediately to progress to the next rounds in both cup competitions, beating Man City in the FA Cup semi-finals.
In the Champions League, they booked a place in their third ever final after beating Real Madrid in the semis. The following weekend, they snatched a stoppage-time winner away at Man City to boost their top-four chances and delay Pep Guardiola’s coronation. Despite losing on the final day at Aston Villa, they secured a top-four spot after languishing in ninth when the German came.
In the FA Cup final, Chelsea lost 1-0 to Leicester as Tuchel prioritized top-four over the competition. On 29th May, Chelsea edged City 1-0 in the Champions League final to lift the trophy for the second time. It was also the third successive time Tuchel got the better of Guardiola in the space of two months.
First full season: A mixed bag so far
Chelsea started the season in ominous form with record signing Romelu Lukaku in their ranks. Heading into the busy festive period, the Blues were top of the league. But injuries, fatigue and covid resulted in loss of form as the Blues lost their trademark defensive solidity. They were quickly usurped by a relentless City team and a chasing Liverpool. But even if the league is out of reach now, Chelsea are still alive and kicking in four other competitions. There’s still a lot to play for this season for the Blues.
Overall Statistics
Played: 67
Won: 40
Draw: 18
Loss: 9
Win percentage: 59.7%
Goals scored: 112
Goals conceded: 42
Trophies won: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup
Verdict
Thomas Tuchel has done an extraordinary job in one year. He made Chelsea from a leaky team to one of the best defensive units in the continent. He did it in such a short space of time. Not only that, Tuchel also masterminded impressive away wins and managed to beat Guardiola thrice consecutively. That is a massive achievement, as is winning the Champions League.
This season’s slump should not take the gloss off what has been a successful one year.