Having seen his side go down to a second-half Kevin De Bruyne goal away at league leaders Manchester City, Thomas Tuchel highlighted one aspect of the team’s performance as the primary reason for the defeat.
The Blues are now 13 points behind City having repeated the result against them back in September at Stamford Bridge. Against tough opponents, it was the attacking rather than defending that disappointed our head coach.‘We lost due to one individual performance in one situation today,’ said Tuchel as he began his analysis, alluding to the quality of the De Bruyne strike.‘In terms of attitude, commitment, defensive-wise I'm happy we did not allow too many big chances. We kept Man City to a minimum of big chances, we kept them to a minimum of really dangerous deliveries.‘We were aware, active and always aggressive and compact in defending. In the first half we had big counter-attacking chances, big offensive transition chances that we really wasted. In the second half we won ball possession so the reaction after the goal was also very good. We had chances, half-chances, deliveries to equalise.
‘For the same performance we won games against them, for the same performance you can draw the game. Then you can of course lose because of the individual quality of Kevin De Bruyne which made the difference.‘We struggled today offensively to show the same quality and the type of quality that you need to really help them and to score the first goal and to bring some doubts into the game.’
Tuchel emphasised that his side did not create the opportunities that some of the other play warranted.‘We could have had much more if we played was better timing, better precision. It's simply like this.‘In the first half in the opponent's half we had eight or nine transition chances and out of them we did not have one touch in the box. That's what I'm critical about.‘That you miss chances is no problem. Everybody wants to score from every big chance and of course you don't get a lot in top games. For efficiency you need a bit of luck and composure but we could have had much more chances.‘The ball losses were too early and were too poor, and decision-making and timing was not on the level that you need in this kind of level of football match.’