Thomas Tuchel was "absolutely not happy" with Chelsea before 3-0 Tottenham win
Chelsea regained their top spot of the Premier League table with a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, but their manager Thomas Tuchel was furious with his sides’ first-half performance.
After a stalemate first 45, veteran defender Thiago Silva opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 49th minute which gave Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris no chance.
Unlikely goalscorer N’Golo Kante, who came off of the bench to replace Mason Mount at halftime, made it two in the 57th minute when his strike deflected off Eric Dier and in off the post.
In the dying embers of the game, Antonio Rudiger fired in a third to round off a credible performance.
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However, Tuchel wasn’t wholly impressed by his side's display.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, the German boss said: “'I was absolutely not happy with the first 45 minutes,
“In general we lacked intent, we lacked energy and needed to be more relentless in duels and to decide 50-50 balls for us.
“I had the feeling we wanted to impress by pure skills, but a game like this in the Premier League, a derby at Tottenham, it is not only about skilful play.
“It is also about aggression, about winning duels and performing better as a team. We lacked energy and spoke clearly about it at half-time.”
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Marcos Alonso and Romelu Lukaku both had opportunities in the second half to heap the pressure on the struggling Spurs side, however, they both failed to convert.
Former PSG manager Tuchel continued: “In the second half it was a very good performance and a well-deserved win in the second half. It was a very good reaction, I am absolutely happy with the performance in the second half.”
Thiago Silva was a standout performer for the Stamford Bridge outfit as he coped with the press of Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli well and hardly allowed the trio a sniff of a chance.
The Brazilian defender's header was his first goal of the season, and he came very close to matching his tally from the previous campaign (two) from another set piece.
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Discussing the 36-year-old’s display, Tuchel said: “It was nice that Thiago Silva almost scored twice, he was so strong,' Tuchel added. 'I am very happy for him that he was able to open the game for us.
“His performance even in the first half was outstanding. It was a fantastic performance and well deserved.”
Chelsea will face Manchester City this weekend in what could be one of the most important games of the season, the two clubs are seen as the frontrunners for the title and victory for either would be a huge statement.
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