Thomas Tuchel lays down law as Chelsea seek to steady ship after hat-trick of home defeats

Thomas Tuchel has laid down the law to his players after their poor run of form ahead of Sunday’s clash with West Ham.

The Chelsea manager was left livid after Wednesday’s 4-2 defeat to Arsenal and left his team in no doubt about his feelings, telling them there is no excuse for their failings in recent weeks.

Tuchel told his stars that they cannot blame their exhausting schedule on the alarming errors that have led to a run of three straight defeats at home in all competitions, which has seen them concede 11 goals in the process.

During talks, the German reminded his players of the importance of finishing the season on a high in the Premier League, while the FA Cup final gives them the chance to pick up a third piece of silverware.

He warned they would have to forget about that if they repeat the kind of performances that saw them lose to Brentford, Real Madrid and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel’s brutal assessment was designed to get a response when Chelsea face West Ham at home on Sunday. His side lost the reverse fixture 3-2 back in December, which came at the start of a mid-season slump that effectively killed off their title challenge.

Chelsea’s lead over Tottenham and Arsenal could be cut to just two points if their London rivals win their respective games tomorrow.

Earlier this week, Tuchel insisted third place was still not secure, and that defeat to Arsenal raises the potential for them to be dragged back into the pack chasing Champions League football next season.

Anything other than victory against West Ham would have Tuchel and Chelsea looking over their shoulders, but with a game in hand on Spurs and Arsenal and two on United they still have a degree of breathing room.

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