Thomas Tuchel has given Chelsea's new owners insight into his plans next season. Whilst Chelsea had competed with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool in the first half of the season, they were unable to keep up the momentum and remain in contention for the Premier League title. The two pioneers of the league have been going head to head for several years now, with Pep Guardiola's side dominating.
Chelsea hopes to cause an upset next season as Tuchel sets out his ambitions ahead of Chelsea's FA Cup clash against Crystal Palace.
Read More: Thomas Tuchel responds to Jurgen Klopp's fixture comments amid Chelsea and Liverpool congestion
"We know we compete with maybe the two most consistent and maybe the best teams in Premier League history at the moment. But I have to say I like it," Tuchel says during his press conference via The Athletic.
"It brings you out of bed early, and we will not stop thinking how we can close the gap."
Despite leading the title race until late October, Liverpool and Manchester City have opened up a gap on the table that will be near impossible for Chelsea to close down. The Blues are 11 points behind Jurgen Klopp's side and 12 behind the league leaders. Last season they finished 19 points behind Man City. The points gap is a clear indication of just how far Chelsea has to go in order to compete next season.
"This season is not over," Tuchel continues.
"We are still fighting, and we should not stop [trying] to collect as many points as possible and then we will put a line under it, analyse it, try to find what's good and where we can still grow.
"We have to sort out the situation in the club in general, and then hopefully, we are ready to be in the same spirit as we started this season because we were ready to go the full race for the full length."
The Chelsea boss indicates that there is still a fight worth having until the very end. With the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich, Chelsea have been left in limbo for over a month. There's no news on who will be the club's new owner, which makes it difficult to determine how the Blues will plan to close the gap with their rivals.
Despite the difficulties faced over the last month, it is worth noting that Tuchel's tricky Blues were tipped to win the league due to their magnificent start to the season. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side due to extenuating circumstances. Illness and injuries caused the downfall of their title charge, but that doesn't stop the manager from taking his eyes off the prize.
"We struggled in between with injuries and Covid more than they did, so full credit to them. But they are the example, and we will not give in."
