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Chelsea continue to impress under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel.
The 2021 UEFA Champions League winners are into the quarter-finals of this year's edition of the competition, as well as the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The Blues have already won two trophies in the 2021-22 season (UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup) as well.
They narrowly missed out on the chance to make it three after coming up just short in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, losing 11-10 in the penalty shootout.
The bigger disappointment, however, will be how their highly anticipated Premier League title challenge failed to materialize. Injuries are a big reason why Chelsea find themselves third in the table right now, with the club particularly missing Reece James and Ben Chilwell for extended periods.
Despite the team's success, Chelsea's attackers have faltered under Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel's success at Stamford Bridge, which has seen his team win three trophies in just over a year, has been built on the team's defensive solidity. The Blues are on course to finish the league season with the second-best defensive record in the English top flight for a second year running.
The attack, however, has failed to deliver under Tuchel, with most of Chelsea's big-money forwards firing blanks on a consistent basis. The Blues scored just 58 league goals last season, the lowest tally among the Premier League's top seven sides.
Though they have netted 57 times so far this league campaign, they still trail Manchester City (68) and Liverpool (75) by a significant margin.
On that note, here's a look at five Blues stars who have disappointed under Thomas Tuchel:
#5 Callum Hudson-Odoi
This might be a bit harsh on Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been shuffled and experimented with by Thomas Tuchel. The 21-year-old Englishman has been used on both flanks and as a wing-back as well, while failing to nail down a particular position. The wideman's lack of cutting edge and end product has frustrated the German coach so far.
Hudson-Odoi has featured in 46 of Tuchel's 78 games as Blues boss, scoring thrice and providing eight assists. It is a marginal drop from the eight goals and nine assists he managed in 52 games under Chelsea's previous head coach Frank Lampard.
Hudson-Odoi is still young but he hasn't lived up to the potential that made giants like Bayern Munich so interested in him (as per The Guardian) a few years ago.
#4 Marcos Alonso
Thomas Tuchel's system is demanding on wing-backs and requires them to bomb up and down the flank incessantly. Such a taxing approach has exposed 31-year-old Spanish wing-back Marcos Alonso's physical limitations and defensive shortcomings.
Despite receiving numerous opportunities due to injuries to the likes of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, Alonso has failed to impress this season. He has four goals and four assists in 47 games under Tuchel, but the Spaniard has been anything but convincing at the back.
It would not be a surprise to see the Blues invest in a replacement and ship Alonso out this summer.
#3 Christian Pulisic
Chelsea's misfiring attack has forced Tuchel to shuffle formations and personnel, which is something that hasn't helped 23-year-old Christian Pulisic. Signed from Borussia Dortmund, where he played under the German boss, for £57.5 million in 2019, the American winger has flattered to deceive at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel has used Pulisic as a winger on either flank, as an attacking midfielder, a wing-back and even as a false nine. The American has played 54 games for the Blues under the German tactician, scoring ten goals and providing eight assists.
Pulisic hasn't been afraid to speak out about his lack of consistent starts and a fixed position. While that certainly hasn't helped, he has also ultimately failed to make the most of his chances so far.
#2 Timo Werner
While Kai Havertz seems to have found his feet under Tuchel after a difficult start to life at Chelsea, the same can't be said about his compatriot Timo Werner. The 26-year-old striker has endured a torrid time since his arrival at Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig for £48 million in 2020.
Werner has ten goals and 13 assists in 52 games under Tuchel but still doesn't seem to have adapted to the Premier League's pace and physical approach. The German star can't be faulted for a lack of trying, but it just hasn't worked out for him so far, despite his best efforts.
Tuchel has tried to play Werner through the middle, as well as out on the left flank, but to no avail. The arrival of Romelu Lukaku has not helped either, though the Belgian himself is in a pickle of his own.
#1 Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku was supposed to be the ultimate answer to Chelsea's misfiring attack, yet is now arguably their biggest problem.
It has been a baffling fall from grace for the Belgian, who scored 24 league goals as Inter Milan won the Serie A title last season. Lukaku, who won the 2021 Serie A 'MVP' award over Cristiano Ronaldo, then sealed a sensational return to boyhood club Chelsea in the summer.
The Blues shelled out a club-record £101.7 million for the striker's services and he enjoyed a strong start to his second spell in London. However, an ankle injury snapped Lukaku's early momentum and an unexpected yet explosive interview with Sky Italia saw matters come to a boil.
The striker appeared to question Thomas Tuchel's methods and tactics, and was forced to issue a public apology (via Chelsea's YouTube channel) to the club and their fans. The damage, however, was done and Lukaku has since been benched for the Blues' biggest games of the season so far, including the Carabao Cup final.
Despite struggling for much of the campaign and missing a sizeable number of matches, he is still their top scorer this season, with 12 goals across competitions. That tells you all you need to know about Chelsea's struggling attackers.
