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Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer feels there are issues within the Chelsea dressing room following their 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday night.
The draw at the Amex Stadium has all but ended Chelsea's fading title hopes this season.They now find themselves 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
The Blues scored the opening goal in the first half, thanks to Hakim Ziyech's long-range strike. Even though the current Champions League holders took the lead after playing some intense football, there were muted celebrations on the pitch by the players.
Premier League legend Alan Shearer noticed the lack of enthusiasm among the Blues stars after Ziyech's goal and remarked on the situation. He said via ChelsTransfer on Twitter:
“Lack of celebration, lack of reaction. Heads down. I don’t need any more evidence there’s an issue in that dressing room.”
Brighton earned a deserved equalizer in the second half thanks to a clean strike from their captain Adam Webster in the 60th minute. The 27-year-old was left unmarked in the penalty box during a corner and he bulleted his header past Kepa Arrizabalaga to make the score 1-1.
Tuchel says Chelsea are tired of travelling
Last night's match against Brighton was Chelsea's third match on the road in a span of six days. The Blues have played more matches than all their Premier League counterparts this season and fatigue is beginning to show.
Tuchel believes the lack of celebration post Ziyech's goal and the team's overall tired performance is a result of the fatigue. He said:
"I answered this question a hundred times, if you look at our situation of long-term injuries, of key players injured, and of Covid and you look at our schedule you will have the answer."
Tuchel added:
"We are mentally tired and physically tired, you can see it in our performance, it's as easy as that. We need to recharge the batteries, we need to reconnect. This is my feeling, that's why I give the players two days off and then we will use Friday and Saturday to prepare for Sunday."
The Blues will next face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, which will be their fourth game in a span of 10 days. Spurs have played 18 matches, compared to Chelsea's 23 in the league this season.
Chelsea to leave for Club World Cup in February
The Blues will not be able to rest for long as they also have Club World Cup commitments next month. The European champions will start their campaign in the semi-final stage on February 9.
The other teams involved in the competition are Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Al Jazira (UAE), Pirae (Tahiti), Al Ahly (Egypt), Monterrey (Mexico) and Palmeiras (Brazil). The Blues will be looking to be the eighth different and the ninth consecutive European winner of the competition.
