Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel after Leeds loss: 'We were the better team'

Thomas Tuchel holds his head during Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Leeds.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has insisted that the Blues were 'the better team' despite a 3-0 loss to Leeds United in the Premier League at Elland Road on Sunday.

Leeds went ahead through Brenden Aaronson after 33 minutes following a bad mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Edoaurd Mendy and doubled their lead thanks to a Rodrigo Moreno header shortly afterwards.

Jesse Marsch's side then wrapped up a comprehensive victory on 69 minutes, when Jack Harrison poked home from close range.

"I think we lost the game in the first 20 minutes, when we were clearly better, with huge chances," Tuchel told BBC Sport.

"[We had] a lot of touches in the box, but we missed the target. We didn’t take what we deserved.

"We stopped doing what we did good, stopped doing it, then it was an even game for 15 minutes, in these 15 minutes we gave two presents and if you give two presents away in the Premier League, you lose."

And he added: "We were clearly the better team. They do what they do but we were clearly the better team: I don’t see that a set piece and an own goal (Mendy’s mistake) is due to the style, it’s due to our mistakes."

Chelsea only conceded 17 goals in Tuchel's first 30 league games in charge, but have let in double that (34) in his next 30 as Blues boss.

"We lost it in the first 20 minutes and we gave two goals away, which is not new for us," the German said.

"If we give goals away like this when we are in charge, it’s totally unnecessary and we cannot win football matches.

"We tried second half, I’m a bit disapppointed that we lost the second half as well. They scored, they made the maximum out of their half chances and we did not."

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.

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