'Everything against Chelsea!' - Tuchel bemoans referee decisions & injuries in Brighton draw

Posted Thursday, December 30, 2021 by Goal.com

The manager is fed up with how things have gone for the Blues during a difficult month of December

A frustrated Thomas Tuchel fumed that everything is going against Chelsea after a late Danny Welbeck equaliser condemned his side to a damaging 1-1 draw with Brighton on Wednesday.

The Blues boss was infuriated with the lack of VAR intervention when Christian Pulisic appealed for a penalty in the second half, calling the incident "a joke".

Tuchel also lamented injuries to defenders Reece James and Andreas Christensen. who were forced off in a further blow to Chelsea's spirits.

What has been said?

Tuchel told Amazon: "We have a horrible decision from the referee for 2-0. It wasn’t even checked. Everything against us. We have two injuries again."

"The penalty is a joke, honestly a joke, not to interfere from VAR," Tuchel added to reporters.

"We simply have too many players coming back from long injuries and Covid. The injury of Reece James was a huge blow. Andreas was one of the top players on the pitch and at some point, it is too much against a Brighton team with nothing to lose."

'Everything against Chelsea!' - Tuchel bemoans referee decisions & injuries in Brighton draw

Asked if Chelsea were still in the title race, Tuchel replied: "How should we be in it? We have seven Covid cases. We have five or six players out for six or more weeks. How should we compete in a title race?

"Everyone else who has a full squad, everybody in training has the full power to come through this league. We would be stupid to think we can do it [with] Covid and injuries.

"This is the reality, this is where we are and we have to adapt to the demands of the situation which you are in. This is what I am saying. We competed very hard for the win at Brighton at home. I don't know what I can expect from my players in terms of physicality, intensity or minutes. Nobody knows anymore because we have never done something like this."

The bigger picture

Brighton's first-ever goal at Stamford Bridge meant Chelsea have now dropped 11 points from leading positions in the Premier League this season - more than they did all of last season (10).

That's a troubling statistic for a defensive unit tipped to be one of the best in Europe this year, and one that is now missing James and Christensen to go along with Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva. James has a hamstring problem and Christensen is experiencing back pain, according to Tuchel.

The Blues are eight points behind first-place Manchester City and must face Liverpool this weekend.