Thomas Tuchel insists there is “no reason to doubt” his Chelsea players after costly back-to-back defeats as they look to ensure a strong finish to an eventful campaign.
The Blues lost in the final of the FA Cup for the second successive season on Saturday after Youri Tielemans’ stunning goal sealed a maiden triumph for Leicester, with a dramatic late equaliser ruled out by VAR.
That dispiriting loss in front of 21,000 returning fans came just three days after a side showing seven changes from an impressive win at Manchester City were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal at Stamford Bridge following a mistake by Jorginho.
Chelsea head into Tuesday night’s swift reunion against Leicester - two points ahead in third - sitting fourth but just one point ahead of Liverpool, who kept up the pressure in the heated race for Champions League qualification on Sunday as goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a dramatic late winner against relegated West Brom.
Tuchel’s men then travel to Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League campaign before attempting to win the Champions League for only the second time against Manchester City in Porto on May 29.
And the manager insists that his side possess the resilience necessary to bounce back from recent setbacks and meet the big challenges still ahead after the first disappointing stint of his tenure.
“This is a strong group,” Tuchel told Chelsea’s official website.
“There is no reason to doubt these players, who have done so well to get into the top four from 10th place, to reach the FA Cup final and to be in the final of the Champions League.
“We are strong enough to handle these situations and these are the challenges that we face. It’s not easy, but it is fun, and there are a lot of teams chasing us and our situation.”
