Chelsea could not deliver a goal against Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday, its top four hopes taking a hit even as it climbed into fourth place.
That sentence alone... yeah, it’s been a weird week in our sport.
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Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admitted that both the on-field and off-field affected the Blues’ preparations, as an exhausting weekend FA Cup win over Man City combined with the European Super League news to create an odd atmosphere in London.
“We had several travels, tough matches in Champions League and FA Cup,” Tuchel said after the draw. “We suffered a little bit from the strong lineup at Wembley. ... We have to accept the distraction. We could not find our best game today but we played against a strong opponent but they defended very aggressively all across the pitch.”
Tuchel said it wasn’t difficult to stay focused on the game but could not help but note that he was caught off-guard by the ESL news.
“For me the situation was not clear,” Tuchel said. “I was informed like you were informed. There was no other subject. You did not ask me about the lineup before the game and it was very very strange: No one talking about the match before the game.”
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The Blues, however, are in fourth place. And Tuchel thinks that will feel better about it heading into a massive week for his season goals.
Chelsea visits fifth-place West Ham on Saturday before going away to Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal on April 27.
“After we have a couple nights to sleep we will see that we are in fourth place and it is in our hands, and it is a tight race,” Tuchel said. “We missed now two opportunities in home matches, this worries me a little bit. but we have to keep on going.”