Thomas Tuchel has had a decent run of form against Pep Guardiola in his reign as Chelsea boss.

The German has come on top on everyone of the fixtures against Manchester City.

Saturday’s fixture had so much fight for. Thomas Tuchel went into this game well aware Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side needed to be arrested given the wide gap between them and the chasing lot who include his Chelsea and Liverpool.

After Saturday’s encounter, City have gone thirteen points away from the closest Chelsea and 14 against Liverpool who they are yet to play.

Thomas Tuchel saw his side outclassed in a contest of the two bulls seated at the top of the English Premier League table standings. The German who had a lot to sort out with his team had a torrid afternoon pacing and ordering his team about on the touchline.

The former PSG and Borussia Dortmund boss came up against a team that had gone 11 games unbeaten in the Premier League. He needed to come up with possibly his best side to go head on with them.

Ahead of the contest, Thomas Tuchel had some of his consistent stars out either injured or at the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTrujTx9ovQ

Reece James and Ben Chilwell were absent for the fixture nursing thigh and knee ligament injuries while stopper Mendy for Afcon assignment with Senegal.

To replace the injured duo were Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta. In the middle of the park, Thomas Tuchel chose to go with Ngolo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.

Ahead of them, the German had Hakeem Ziyech and Christian Pulisic. Chelsea struggled to press Manchester City defence of John Stones and Aymeric Laporte.

Thomas Tuchel without James and Chilwell, in this fixture, saw himself disadvantaged in the wings where Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo operated.

To even make it a complex matter, Ziyech and Pulisic were not up to the task of imposing themselves on the game. They largely remained unhelpful and were physically outmuscled by City’s defense that had Rodri sitting ahead of them.

Other than the defence splitting pass towards the end of the first half which Romelu Lukaku squandered, he largely remained ineffective.

Which was down to Ziyech and Pulisic not doing much to help the team in the third half of the pitch which had City dominant with Stones, Rodri and Laporte enjoying the lion’s share of the proceedings.

Thomas Tuchel should have started with two of Masson Mount, Timo Werner and Hudson Odoi. The trio possess energy and speed to hurt City.

Masson Mount in particular should have been in the German’s starting plans given how he has been at the heart of Chelsea’s season. And this was perhaps the biggest game of their season. Had they won this fixture, they would be seven points adrift.

Kevin De Bruyne’s strike changed everything and the intervention by Thomas Tuchel by introducing Mount and Werner did not help him as the damage had already been done.

Chelsea needed energy and speed in the first half and they did not have that. The season looks gone with Manchester City who are distant.

Thomas Tuchel now needs to try and push to finish in a strong position, second will be acceptable with Roman Abramovich.

Next season must come with the Premier League title or he faces the sack.