Chelsea secured their first win under Thomas Tuchel with a routine 2-0 victory over Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Sunday – a game that saw the hosts dominate possession as the German manager again opted to select a back-three.
While Tuchel’s side were far from perfect, there were signs that his first week at the club could have rejuvenated some of the team’s star players, with Timo Werner livelier than he has been for some time.
Mason Mount was preferred to Kai Havertz in the starting line-up, while there was another chance for Callum Hudson-Odoi to show what he could do at right wing-back.
Excellent finishes from Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso won it for Chelsea, but there were some interesting performances elsewhere in the side.
Here, i looks at five notable individual displays from the 2-0 win…
Thiago Silva 9/10
The Brazilian was an absolute rock at the heart of Chelsea’s defence and looked perfectly suited to the central role in Tuchel’s back three.
Silva made more clearances (5), more interceptions (4) and more ball recoveries (15) than any other Chelsea player, while he was not beaten once throughout the match and did not commit a single foul.
The fact that Burnley failed to muster even one attempt on target was in part down to the performance of the 36-year-old, who dominated Burnley’s Chris Wood throughout – something that few centre-backs have been able to do in the Premier League this season.
Mason Mount 7/10
England’s rising young star put in a performance that showed just why he is known as a manager’s favourite – even though he missed out on the new boss’ first teamsheet. Mount’s tidy passing, clever movement to drift into space in the final third, and relentless work rate will have impressed the watching Tuchel, and should ensure he makes a number of starts in the coming weeks.
The 22-year-old’s link-up play with the overlapping Hudson-Odoi was particularly impressive and looked to be Chelsea’s likeliest way to open up Burnley throughout the first half.
Mount did however struggle to get on the same wavelength as Werner, often opting for a safer pass out wide than trying a riskier option to look for the runs of the forward, much to the German’s chagrin. But Mount has already done enough to make sure he doesn’t immediately drop down the attacking-midfield pecking order under Tuchel.
Timo Werner 6/10
Werner’s Premier League goal drought has now lasted 12 matches (a run that dates back to 7 November), but there were encouraging signs for the German in his second game under the new manager.
Tuchel used the 24-year-old in a different role in each half, working as one of the two behind Tammy Abraham in the first-half before moving into the forward position for the second 45. A few classy touches aside, the deeper role proved frustrating for Werner, as he struggled to make runs beyond Abraham and saw his best work limited to in-front of the packed Burnley defence. A complete air-shot when picked out by a Callum Hudson-Odoi cut-back on 29 minutes summed up the German’s frustration.
But the second half was better for Werner, who made a number of dangerous runs off the shoulders of the centre-backs and looked much more like the player Chelsea thought they had bought last summer.
Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic struggled to find his runs at times, but it was notable that the very first involvement of Kai Havertz after his introduction on 80 minutes saw the substitute almost send Werner clean through on goal – a link-up that will have hugely encouraged Tuchel.
Mateo Kovacic 7/10
Rarely has Kovacic looked as at-home in a Chelsea shirt as he did against Burnley.
The Croatian appears to be the perfect player for Tuchel’s new formation, offering enough defensively to cover the back-three and enough on the ball to be a useful link player for the more creative players.
That versatility, which has so often been used to knock Kovacic, saw him excel in his 79th Premier League game for the club, helping the side dominate possession and limit Burnley to just a single shot (with none registered on target).
N’Golo Kante would also work well in that position in Tuchel’s side, and with the players in that double-pivot expected to put in a lot of hard yards it will be very useful for Chelsea to have the option to rotate during such a congested season.
Callum Hudson-Odoi 8/10
For the second match in succession Hudson-Odoi was one of Chelsea’s best players, operating well in his new wing-back role. The England international must have feared for his prospects under the new manager, but Tuchel’s switch to a back three has found a new place for the 20-year-old in the Chelsea first XI. And if the early evidence is anything to go by then he is extremely well-suited to it.
Hudson-Odoi was a constant threat down the right, keeping his width and offering a genuine goal threat as he overlapped down his flank, linking up superbly with Mount in particular.
There will be tougher defensive tests to come, but against a deep-lying opponent like Burnley it was Hudson-Odoi who was often one of the most advanced Chelsea players. His replacement Reece James is also well-suited to the wing-back role, and national manager Gareth Southgate will be an interested observer as the two compete for the starting berth over the remainder of the season.
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