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Thomas Tuchel has insisted Chelsea’s victory over Tottenham on Thursday and their upturn in form since his arrival is not down to his coaching methods – and more down to the attitude shown by his players.

Chelsea lost five of their final eight Premier League games under former manager Frank Lampard, yet Tuchel is unbeaten since his arrival 12 days ago and has overseen back-to-back wins following an opening 0-0 draw.

Chelsea edged a tight game to win away against Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham on Thursday night and have turned their fortunes around in the hunt for a top four place after the final weeks of Lampard’s reign had seen them slide towards mid-table mediocrity.

“I’m happy with the spirit and the attitude in defending. A very solid team performance and a deserved win,” Tuchel is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

“It’s not about my methods. I’m happy with the attitude, the squad, the potential. They are fine guys. It’s a nice group and they are open. It’s a pleasure to be around them. We have a lot of support in the whole club. It was a quick start but an easy one because I feel very welcome.”

Although the new boss seemingly isn’t keen to take credit, Mason Mount has suggested that Tuchel has added some tactical versatility and unpredictability to Chelsea by changing the style of play.

“We’re all learning but obviously it’s going well so far!”

“It makes it difficult for any team we play against. They don’t know what we’re going to come with.”

Man of the Match, Mason Mount, shares how he’s adapting to life under his new boss Thomas Tuchel…

? @TheDesKelly pic.twitter.com/2OUiMAjpcB

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 4, 2021

“It is tough to come [to Tottenham] and control throughout but we played very well. The manager wants us to play in that style and it is working well, it is new and different for some of us – including me as a false nine – and we are all learning,” Mount told BT Sport.

“It will be difficult for other teams [against Chelsea] because different formations and tactics means they won’t know what we will come with.”

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!

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The first game in any manager’s tenure at a club is often quite telling. Who does he like the look of? Who hasn’t impressed? Who could soon be heading for pastures new?

Having established himself as one of the key men in Frank Lampard’s side, Mason Mount was a surprise inclusion on the Chelsea bench for Thomas Tuchel’s maiden game in charge of the club against Wolves last month.

Whether the decision was made with the fact he’d played the full 90 minutes in all of Chelsea’s last 13 league outings in mind we’ll never quite know, though you’d be forgiven for assuming any new boss would opt to field their strongest team in their first game in charge.

After all, the longer the wait for a first win goes on the more the pressure begins to…mount.

The youngster’s brief cameo towards the end of the draw with Wolves was enough to earn him a start at home to Burnley the following game, and he was yet again fielded from the off in their 1-0 win over London rivals Spurs on Thursday evening.

Critics lambasted the Chelsea man’s status as an automatic starter during Lampard’s time at the club – and in truth the former Blues boss did little to dispel the rumours of Mount being the teacher’s pet as he waxed lyrical over him just about every time he was faced with a microphone – but the England international is beginning to prove that Lampard was right. Mount is integral to Chelsea’s progression.

The 22-year-old played as a false nine at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, picking up little pockets of space between the Spurs backline and midfield.

His movement and guile proved too much for Spurs all evening, with Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld too cautious to step out of defence to pick him up and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg unable to track his runs.

Far from content with sitting between the Spurs centre-back pairing all evening, Mount dropped back into midfield whenever his team were without the ball – something which really didn’t happen very often if truth be known – with Timo Werner pulling in from the left hand-side to occupy Dier and Alderweireld.

Throughout the evening, Mount engaged in numerous tussles with the man mountain that is Tanguy Ndombele, refusing to be shoved off the ball by the Spurs man.

Meanwhile, whenever he pushed further forward he was just too quick, too sharp and too cunning for Alderweireld, with the Belgian chasing shadows at times in his bid to curtail the youngster’s progress.

The real victory on the evening goes to Tuchel, with the German boss masterminding the system which Jose Mourinho’s side simply had no answers for.

But for said system to work it required a lynchpin, a player integral to the team who the rest of the side could feed and work off – that man was Mason Mount.

All in all it was an absolutely superb performance from the former Derby man. It was a showing full of guts, energy and quality, and he’s undoubtedly the most important player at the club.

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Tottenham’s fixture with Chelsea on Thursday night had all the ingredients to turn affairs at the club toxic.

A defeat to Liverpool, a severely depleted Liverpool who looked there for the taking, was hurtful for the fans. The tactical decisions that were made during the loss seemed to harm Spurs’ chances of taking anything from the game having already trailed 1-0.

????-????: Defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

? #THFC 0-1 #CFC ? pic.twitter.com/BoZCfY3cF3

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 4, 2021

But the Reds remain Premier League champions, a team still packed with star quality, so while the defeat was met with the inevitable ‘Dr Tottenham’ and ‘Spursy’ tweets and memes, it was somewhat understandable, especially with Harry Kane going off injured.

Then came the trip to Brighton. An absolute shell of a performance came on the south coast as Jose Mourinho’s side went down 1-0 with little fight and barely any shots on goal.

There was simply no pattern to Tottenham’s play. No attacking plan. No cohesion going forward. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

The defeat at the AMEX did more to split the fanbase than any other loss under Mourinho prior to Thursday’s, and it’s easy to see why. It’s been over a year since the manager was brought in as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement, and they look just as fragile and disorganised.

Stylistically, it’s a lot tougher to watch, too. And it was exactly the same on Thursday night.

Sure, there are some things a manager cannot fix. One of them being the consistent defensive errors those at the back make over and over again. Mourinho made a big bet on Eric Dier being his dependable centre back, but the England international has cracked under pressure time and time again. It happened in the defeat to Chelsea on Thursday night, Tottenham’s third in a row, when he fell to the floor when attempting to tackle Timo Werner, waggling his leg and catching the German with the fifth bite of asking.

There’s a manager issue and a squad issue, and both need addressing sooner rather than later.

Pochettino once spoke of the need of a painful rebuild, but for a variety of reasons he wasn’t granted one. Then when the squad ran out of puff and the miracle results started to dwindle throughout the whole of 2019, he was sacked.

Unfortunately, however excellent certain players may have been as servants to the club, the consistent mistakes and limited ability are no longer of use or benefit to an institution looking to really establish itself as an elite presence on the European circuit.

They can’t serve the ‘sit back and counter’ purpose Mourinho wants to any decent effect now that teams have sussed them out. Mourinho isn’t a rebuild manager, so it does beg the question as to why he was handed that opportunity in the first place.

Chelsea did the absolute minimum they needed to on Thursday night to pick up all three points. They were gifted a joke of a penalty by Dier, Jorginho smacked it in and from that point most Spurs fans were resigned to defeat.

A couple of Tottenham players will come out with the usual ‘we must regroup’ tropes and we’ll see if Mourinho digs out any of his squad.

Jose Mourinho on why he didn’t bring on Gareth Bale:

“A good question but you don’t deserve an answer”.#COYS #THFC pic.twitter.com/eXlZRxAJjR

— The Spurs Express (@TheSpursExpress) February 4, 2021

Regardless, it’s clear a massive rot has set in at Tottenham, and it’s time for those responsible to start identifying the deadwood and clearing it. Mourinho may well fancy the challenge of building the squad back up to one that can clearly compete, but the whole situation seems to have turned far too sour to be salvageable. Daniel Levy is clearly in awe of the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, but Spurs have wasted those good seasons between 2015 and 2019 by not making the correct decisions at the highest level.

Instead, they’re in serious danger of wasting the peak of a player like Kane, one of the club’s greatest ever who missed Thursday night because of his dodgy ankles, and Son Heung-min, who looks lost without his strike partner.

Thursday night always had the potential to get ugly, and it certainly did. Are Tottenham fans excited to watch their side who cannot build any effective attacking play in the final third face Sam Allardyce’s West Brom on Sunday? Probably not, no. And that might be the most damning thought of all.

For more from Jude Summerfield, follow him on Twitter!

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Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham slumped to their third consecutive defeat on Thursday night as Chelsea notched all three points thanks to Jorginho’s first-half penalty.

With both sides engaging in possibly the most turgid 20 minutes of football you’re ever likely to see, Eric Dier did his best to add some entertainment by clumsily hacking down Timo Werner in the Tottenham box, with Jorginho dispatching the resulting penalty.

JORGI MAKES IT 1-0 TO CHELSEA!!! ?

?? 0-1 ? [24’] #TOTCHE pic.twitter.com/TjBJH6oLuI

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 4, 2021

The home side saw a little more of the ball in the second half but in truth they never really looked like picking the Chelsea lock, with Carlos Vinicius spurning the best Spurs chance of the game as he skimmed his close-range header wide.

That’s the match highlights out of the way, now on to those Spurs and Chelsea player ratings.

Hugo Lloris (GK) – 6/10 – Nothing he could do about the Jorginho penalty. Produced a smart save from Mason Mount in the second half to keep his side in the game.

Serge Aurier (RB) – 6/10 – In fairness to the erratic full back, he showed a willingness and a drive to try and take Tottenham up the pitch – something which couldn’t be said for many of his teammates.

Toby Alderweireld (CB) – 5/10 – Didn’t know what to do with Mount as the Chelsea man dropped into pockets of space and continued to evade him.

Eric Dier (CB) – 4/10 – All that was missing was the Benny Hill theme. Total lack of awareness as he attempted to hack the ball away and instead kicked the back of Werner’s calf, while he almost assisted a Chelsea second after needlessly firing the ball at Lloris.

Ben Davies (LB) – 5/10 – A bit of a nothing performance. Offered little in the way of an attacking threat, but was on the football pitch throughout – that’s the best we’ve got. Targeted frequently by Chelsea during the first half.

Moussa Sissoko (CM) – 5/10 – Ran around a lot without doing very much. Copy and paste from just about every Spurs player ratings you’ve ever read.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (CM) – 5/10 – Did his usual job of sitting in the centre of the pitch and keeping it simple, but couldn’t keep up with the Chelsea midfield.

Tanguy Ndombele (CM) – 5/10 – In a rigid system like Spurs’ there needs to be a spark, and this man is one of the few in the team who can provide it – but Thursday night wasn’t his night. His enthusiasm was evident but he just ended up running in circles in midfield.

Steven Bergwijn (RW) – 4/10 – Ever completely forgot a footballer was playing until they got the ball about 50 minutes in? Yeah, that.

Carlos Vinicius (ST) – 5/10 – Tasked with leading the Spurs line in place of Harry Kane. Isolated for much of the game and forced to feed off scraps. When his big chance arrived late on he couldn’t find the target.

Son Heung-min (LW) – 5/10 – If Spurs genuinely harbour hopes of making the top four then this man needs to find his goalscoring touch. Difficult evening for him as he was shackled by the Chelsea backline.

69 – Jose makes a double change:

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?? @StevenBergwijn

? #THFC 0-1 #CFC ? pic.twitter.com/f27CFim0Ge

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 4, 2021

Erik Lamela (RW) – 7/10

Lucas Moura (LW) – 6/10

Edouard Mendy (GK) – 6/10 – One of the easiest games he’ll play against a so-called ‘top six’ club. Decent handling but not much more to say other than a solid save from Erik Lamela late on.

Cesar Azpilicueta (CB) – 7/10 – Cut the Spurs backline open with a pinpoint diagonal within the opening ten seconds. Set the tone for his evening and was classy throughout.

Antonio Rudiger (CB) – 7/10 – Very solid display from the big German. Challenged for absolutely everything that came his way and wasn’t afraid to battle with Carlos Vinicius.

Thiago Silva (CB) – 6/10 – Did a very good job of stepping onto the toes of Vinicius and not allowing the Brazilian time to settle. Pulled his hamstring midway through the first half and was forced to hobble off.

Reece James (RWB) – 6/10 – Was lucky to get away with a late challenge very early in the game. Took a little while to settle into the pace of the game but looked solid once he had done.

Jorginho (CM) – 7/10 – Ditched his usual stuttered run-up when taking the spot kick but dispatched his effort with ease. Sat at the base of the Chelsea midfield and kept things ticking over nicely.

Mateo Kovacic (CM) – 7/10 – A good display full of running and energy. Made a fantastic driving run towards the Spurs box in the second half but just didn’t have the composure to provide the finish.

Marcos Alonso (LWB) – 6/10 – Retained his place in the Chelsea starting XI after his goal at the weekend. Played more like a winger than wing-back and provided constant width on the left.

Callum Hudson-Odoi (RW) – 5/10 – Kept himself busy down the Chelsea right but couldn’t really get a foothold in the game.

Mason Mount (ST) – 8/10 – Played as a false number nine when Chelsea were in possession, dropping into midfield when they didn’t have the ball. Did a brilliant job of picking up pockets of space and Spurs just couldn’t contain him.

Timo Werner (LW) – 7/10 – The team sheet seemed to suggest he would play centrally but he spent a lot of time pulling out to the left and switching with Mount. Spurned a couple of opportunities but he continued to involve himself in the play and did well to win the penalty.

We’re forced into an early change as Thiago Silva hobbles off and is replaced by Andreas Christensen.

?? 0-1 ? [36’] #TOTCHE pic.twitter.com/fg85NDBFuJ

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 4, 2021

Andreas Christensen (CB) – 6/10

N’Golo Kante (CM) – 6/10

Christian Pulisic (RW) – 5/10

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When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in October 1996, it didn’t take the Frenchman long to demonstrate his excellent knowledge of the European transfer market.

In his first full season, the north London club won the double having brought in the likes of Patrick Vieira, Nicolas Anelka, Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars just to name a few.

His ability to identify talent that may not have necessarily been fulfilling their potential at the time, coupled with David Dein’s negotiation skills, saw Arsenal challenge Manchester United for the Premier League crown – winning it three times in seven seasons.

However, for all the stars Wenger brought to the club, there were plenty who didn’t make the grade. Here, 90min remembers ten of the more ‘obscure’ signings who never made it in north London and takes a look at where they ended up.

Bischoff was a French-born former Portugal Under-21 international signed by Arsenal from Werder Bremen in the summer of 2008.

He made just four appearances for the north London club and, having left on a free transfer to join Academica Coimbra just a year later, the now 33-year-old currently plays for Bahlinger SC in the German fourth tier.

Skulason arrived in north London from Icelandic club Fylkir in 2001 but was sent back to his former club on loan twice before he eventually signed for Brentford.

He appeared just once for Arsene Wenger’s side, so his entire Arsenal career amounted to just 35 minutes of game time. Having spent spells in Turkey, Sweden and Belgium, he is now back at Fylkir, aged 37.

At the time, Miyaichi was hailed as a Japanese wonderkid but with hindsight, we can all agree that he wasn’t even close to being good enough to make it at Arsenal.

He was part of the Gunners’ FA Cup winning squad in 2014 and appeared four times in the competition for Wigan when they won it the year before.

Now with FC St. Pauli in the German second tier, he is yet to make an appearance this season due to injury.

Lupoli showed signs of potential but sadly it was never fulfilled. In his nine appearances for Arsenal he managed three goals and became a bit of a journeyman after leaving.

Currently, the 33-year-old centre forward plays for Montegiorgio in the Italian fourth tier – he’s a long way from the heights he once threatened to reach.

The Highbury club paid in excess of £1m to bring Malz to the club from 1860 Munich in 1999. Signed at the age of 27, within two years he returned to Germany having made very little impact in London.

Despite being a left back, he managed two goals in his 14 appearances but given he only played six times in the Premier League, you could be forgiven for thinking he was a bit of a flop.

French goalkeeper Warmuz had a good career in his homeland, turning out for Lens on no fewer than 407 occasions. He also had spells at Monaco and Borussia Dortmund.

From an Arsenal perspective, however, this was a completely pointless signing.

Warmuz played for the Gunners a grand total of zero times. Now retired, the 50-year-old’s last role in football was as a manager at FC Montceau Bourgogne.

Park made just seven first-team appearances for Arsenal, scoring his only goal for the club in the League Cup.

Having joined for just shy of £6m from Monaco, it’s safe to say Arsenal certainly didn’t get their money’s worth on the field from the Korean.

Big Latvian defender Stepanovs played 100 times for his country during his career.

Although he leads the way here when it comes to first-team appearances for Arsenal with 31, he is one of a number of sub-standard centre backs Wenger brought to the club and was often poked fun at.

At 45, Stepanovs is now coaching in the Maldives.

Asano joined Arsenal from the Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima in a deal worth £3.6m.

He was sold to Partizan Belgrade in 2019 for just shy of £1m and didn’t make a single appearance for the Gunners. It didn’t work out for him in London, but so far this season he’s scored ten goals in 18 league appearances.

Botelho signed for the Gunners in a deal worth £1.08m but is another who never made a single appearance in Arsenal colours.

After a number of loan spells in Spain, the left back returned to his native Brazil and has been without a club since 2019 despite being just 31.

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