Chelsea 0-0 Wolves: Talking points from Thomas Tuchel's first game with the Blues

Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier League
Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier League

#3 Kai Havertz's showing signs of life

Putting in arguably one of the best displays of his short stint at Chelsea, Kai Havertz looked every bit the player that Chelsea broke the bank for last summer.

He made those blazing runs into the box both with and without the ball that became his trademark whilst at Leverkusen.

His performance didn't get the goal it deserved due to blocks by Dendoncker and Willian Jose (the latter a rather fabulous and unexpected one).

Havertz could really find his rhythm again and show the World why his talent warrants to have a team built around it
Havertz could really find his rhythm again and show the world why his talent warrants to have a team built around it

With the arrival of Tuchel, we may see a system finally be put in place to get the most out of Chelsea's big-name arrivals, something we failed to see under Lampard.


#4 Wolves' problems up-front

Wolves have grown into one of the most likeable outfits in the Premier League since their promotion.

They have one of the best managers around in Nuno Espirito Santo, and have gained a reputation as giant killers when on song.

Raul Jiminez's absence continues, and his absence is felt more keenly against bigger teams, who leave more gaps to exploit, allowing Wolves to flow the way they do in big games
Raul Jiminez's absence continues, and his absence is felt more keenly against bigger teams, who leave more gaps to exploit, allowing Wolves to flow the way they do in big games

That's the thing though, their attack, rather their team, has not been on song for a while now.

Summer signing and wonderkid Fabio Silva has been patchy, as one should expect from a teenager in their first year in a new country.

Raul Jiminez's output was not replaced by the combo of Neto and Adama, neither in attack nor in defence.

Willian Jose's cameo off the bench was uneventful in terms of attacking output, though he did save his team from losing with a goal-line clearance late in stoppage time.

Hopefully his signing can help things settle down in attack at least till Raul gets back from a horrendous injury.


#5 Chelsea's charge for Europe in doubt?

Tonight's goalless draw leaves Chelsea 8th in the table, having accumulated 30 points from 20 games.

Their results of late had been miserable. Had it been anyone other than Lampard, he'd have gotten the sack a couple months ago at the first signs of trouble.

Tuchel is surely in for the biggest challenge he has faced in his career so far, with expectations higher than ever before
Tuchel is surely in for the biggest challenge he has faced in his career so far, with expectations higher than ever before

With teams above them getting their act together, we could be looking at the prospect of Chelsea not qualifying for the Champions League by the end of the season.

That may sound incredibly harsh, but with United, City, Liverpool, Spurs and even Arsenal (lately) looking to push for results, that could be a reality.

Tuchel needs to find a winning formula. It's an unenvious task that he's taken on at Chelsea.

He could come out of it with his reputation damaged if he can't steady the ship. Or he could re-establish himself as part of the conversation where people speak about some of the best coaches in the world.

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