Timo Werner is yet to explode at Chelsea as many supporters initially thought he would given his expensive price tag and record in Germany, but Thomas Tuchel is beginning to understand the 24-year-old after a few weeks in charge.
The German boss was appointed as Frank Lampard's successor in January, with rumours suggesting that much of the reason behind his selection related to getting the best from the likes of Werner and Kai Havertz.
The two youngsters cost Chelsea a combined total of around £120million in the summer, with Tuchel already making strides to deliver a platform for them to perform.
Havertz is currently injured but against Newcastle United on Monday, Werner scored his first Premier League goal since the beginning of November while also delivering an assist.
His on-field relationship with Marcos Alonso in particular seemed to help him thrive, with Tuchel asked about Werner after the contest.
"We know he likes to drift out to the wing between full-backs and centre-halves," the Blues boss said. "So we try to bring him to these positions, he likes to play next to the guy who is the reference in the middle."
Alonso regularly dovetailed with the Chelsea forward by occupying the inside or outside spaces depending on Werner's position; the Spaniard showcased both underlapping and overlapping runs throughout the clash.
Tuchel elaborated on the interchanging between Werner and Alonso, stating: "We put Marcos more on the inside to have Timo in the high position to use his speed."
With the Spanish wing-back tucked inside in deeper areas, he was able to adequately protect Chelsea from counter-attacks, which afforded a degree of freedom for Werner who refrained from tracking back more often than not.
Pep Guardiola has used a similar ploy at Manchester City over the years, using the likes of Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo to occupy central areas which allows for Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez to stay high and wide without the team suffering defensively.
Werner's start under Tuchel bodes well for the future as the new boss clearly appreciates the conditions that he requires in order to prosper, and with Southampton up next who are without a league win in seven games, Werner's inevitable explosion could happen sooner rather than later.
