Timo Werner admits he feels more at home at Chelsea following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel and says his barren run in front of goal proved a reality check.
The German forward arrived at Chelsea in June in a deal worth £47.5million from RB Leipzig.
He made the choice to complete the switch before the Bundesliga side had completed their Champions League campaign in order to help him settle in England.
It appeared a wise decision in the early weeks of the 2020/21 season. Werner hit the ground running under Frank Lampard, scoring eight times in eleven appearances. At the start of December, the Blues briefly went top of the Premier League.
Werner's goalscoring touch had, however, already deserted him at the point of the season.
His form would slowly disintegrate over the Christmas period and Chelsea's followed suit. There was no great surprise that by the end of January, the Blues had parted company with Lampard.
Tuchel was swiftly named Chelsea's new head coach and admitted at his unveiling that getting the best from Werner – and his compatriot Kai Havertz – was on his immediate to-do list.
He has certainly achieved that with Werner. The 24-year-old has proved decisive in recent matches, earning match-winning penalties and, last Monday, getting back on the scoresheet in the Premier League for the first time in 15 matches.
That Werner has started all but one of the top-flight matches overseen by Tuchel highlights he will be an important part of the Chelsea side over the remainder of the campaign.
And he admits the arrival of the German coach has made life slightly easier for him at Stamford Bridge.
"Even though I work a lot on my English, I couldn't always express myself the way I wanted and had to be careful not to be misunderstood," Werner told German magazine Kicker.
"That's naturally now no longer a problem, so you almost feel a bit more at home. "
Werner's upturn in form has been vital in ensuring Tuchel has made a positive start at Chelsea.
The new Blues head coach has largely opted to play the German international off another forward and that has – barring the weekend's draw at Southampton – unlocked the forward.
Werner admits the last few months haven't been easy for him and that his lack of goals after so many prolific years in the Bundesliga was something of a comedown.
He said: "At the beginning, I had this self-image that I can go on doing my thing here, but the last few months I have had brought me down to earth. It's the way in England that you never have a quiet game.
"The players are 1.9 meters tall, brutal physically and really fast – including the defenders. It's impressive what intensity is going on in the Premier League."
Werner added: "Of course, I noticed that in such a lull you are no longer necessarily called a super striker. I just had to let go of all the pressure of having to score goals."
