Tactical Analysis: The First Weeks of Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea

The past 12 months have been quite a crazy time at Chelsea Football Club. It was just one year ago when Chelsea confirmed the signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax, a transfer that would introduce a record spending spree after qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, with the West London club splurging over £200 million on the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Ben Chilwell.

With such a huge injection of cash in the midst of a pandemic, the board clearly indicated that they were prepared to back Frank Lampard and his project in the long-term. Things were going according to plan initially as they even reached the summit of the Premier League in early December, but it all unraveled quickly.

After the 3-1 win over Leeds United which saw Chelsea take the top spot in the Premier League, they only picked up seven points from eight matches, slipping out of the European spots altogether. This spelled the end of Frank Lampard’s tenure as Chelsea manager, and his replacement was quickly appointed.

Ex-Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel was hired by the Blues in keeping with their tradition of chopping and changing head coaches whenever possible. Although he has only overseen six matches so far, Chelsea look a transformed side and are creeping their way back into top four contention.