Chelsea faced an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to London rivals Arsenal in their pre-season friendly in Florida. The Blues fielded what looked to be a strong starting XI on paper, but was easily dismantled by Mikel Arteta's Gunners. Following their penalty shootout loss in midweek to newly-formed side Charlotte, it does not make for good reading for Thomas Tuchel's side.
The Chelsea boss did not shy away from an honest take on his team's performance against Arsenal. In fact, he may have been too honest and could have rubbed some players up the wrong way. He made a point in singling out those who are looking to leave the club this summer, implying that they were not playing well because their heart is not with the club anymore. There are still a number of players who remain on remarkable contracts but the Blues must first deal with those who just simply do not want to be here.
There were some strong words used by the very frustrated manager - there's no telling how the Blues will survive in the upcoming season if the relationship continues to sour between manager and players. When asked whether he believes his team is ready for the Premier League in his post match press conference, Thomas Tuchel offloaded indirect pellets to some of his players. He said: "I can not guarantee. I saw today a team in Arsenal who are mentally committed to an idea of playing, a level of exhaustion, a level of physical commitment that we could not match.
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"Also, a level of mental commitment that we lacked because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options. We have players that have left and I think at the moment that's obvious."
This summer's transfer window has highlighted the targets that Tuchel and Todd Boehly have been working hard to get over the line, but there's been a dim light over those who want to leave. Romelu Lukaku and the Chelsea boss had clearly stopped seeing eye to eye from the moment the Belgian's interview with Sky Italia was released. It was a departure that was destined to happen. Once Lukaku's loan move back to Inter Milan was secured, there was no looking back - but there was also no urgency for a replacement.
Timo Werner has not been happy with his lack of game time for quite some time now. Early last season, Tuchel's team selections made it clear that the German was not to be a main contributor. Playing only 37 games last season compared to 52 in the season before, the belief that Werner would be leaving this summer was warranted. To be quite honest, it's a bit of a shock that the club has not been actively finding a replacement and working on a deal for the German to leave.
Prior to their clash with Arsenal, Werner caused a stir in the media, suggesting that he could still be leaving when asked about his future. Tuchel was surprised and responded: "In the moment, I think he [Werner] wants to make his way at Chelsea. He has still to prove a point."
Unfortunately for Tuchel and Chelsea fans, the Arsenal match was Werner's chance to prove said "point" and he could not deliver. Having started the game, his usual burst of electric energy was missing, as well as his desire to keep going. It's unclear as to whether his head is out of the door, or the players just weren't up for the challenge. He was hooked at half time and Hakim Ziyech was bought in to salvage a 2-0 deficit.
Another player whose head could also be out the door is Ziyech. The Moroccan hasn't necessarily had the most plain sailing time at Chelsea but his quality has shown through on a number of occasions. He has been tipped for a loan move to AC Milan from before the transfer window even opened. A deal is yet to have been struck, but reports suggest that the two parties have been close to agreeing on a loan fee.
Armando Broja, Billy Gilmour and Levi Colwill have all also been linked with a move away. Tuchel's frustrations have not risen from nowhere. There's a reason why he decided to voice his concerns for the fan base to hear and empathise with the situation he is currently handling. A 4-0 defeat to Arsenal is unacceptable - in a pre-season game or in a competitive game. it's highlighted a major cause for concern and Todd Boehly will have to ask some hard questions that may require him to push even harder for some fresh faces.
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