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| Image Source | Image By – Getty | Goal |
That day, the Blues kept most of the possession, setting a club and division record, but at the end of the scoreless game, they couldn’t break through.
The first game for Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel was a record, with the Blues dominating the ball in the game against Wolves on Wednesday.
Tuchel was confirmed as Chelsea coach on Tuesday, shortly after the Blues made the decision to part ways with Frank Lampard.
Lampard’s tenure came to an end after just a year and a half, with ex-Chelsea midfielder following Maurizio Sarri, the man he replaced, initially after less than two seasons at the helm.
Chelsea fan ‘steaming’ with Thomas Tuchel’s Wolves draw team selection wants him ‘fired’
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| Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian |
Among Blues fans, there was a real buzz as the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain manager took his place for the very first time in the technical area of Stamford Bridge.
This week, after Roman Abramovich brought the axe down on Frank Lampard for a woeful run of Premier League form over the winter break, Tuchel was nominated as Chelsea’s new boss.
Chelsea 0-0 Wolves
Rome was not made in a day, however, and Tuchel will still fail to make his mark on this Chelsea squad barely 24 hours after his first Cobham training session.
Yes, there was a record-breaking number of passes and a better team structure than we saw under Lampard, but there was hardly much to write about the success of the West London club.
The Blues were forced to settle against Wolverhampton Wanderers for a point, managing only two shots on goal, but since December they have kept their first league clean sheet at Stamford Bridge.
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In place of Lampard came Tuchel, who took charge of his first game on Wednesday against Wolves at Stamford Bridge.
The game ended 0-0, with Chelsea snagging just one point in Tuchel’s first game at the head of the club.
Tuchel admitted ahead of the game that the last few days have been “surreal” while promising attacking football.
His first roster included a few surprises, with Callum Hudson-Odoi deployed as a wingback in one of his predecessor’s Tuchel Tactical Switches.
Although Tuchel’s Chelsea were scoreless that day, the Blues dominated the ball.
Chelsea made a total of 433 assists in the first half, their highest number in the first half of a Premier League since at least 2003-04.
Moreover, those 433 total assists were the most important for a Tuchel side in the first half of a top-level game since May 2016, when Borussia Dortmund completed 503 assists against Cologne.
At the final whistle, Chelsea had completed 820 passes and recorded 78.9% possession – the two highest totals for a team in their manager’s Premier League debut since data began to be recorded.
Tuchel was previously in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, having led the Ligue 1 powers to the Champions League final last season. However, he was sacked by the club in December and replaced by ex-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Prior to his stint at PSG and Dortmund, Tuchel supervised Mainz from 2009 to 2014.
With Wednesday’s draw, Chelsea are eighth in the Premier League with 30 points after 20 games.
The Blues are five points behind fourth-placed West Ham after playing the same number of games as their London rivals.
Tuchel’s Chelsea will be back against Burnley on Sunday before facing Tottenham next week in a top four prospect clash.