Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel questioned Romelu Lukaku’s performance following his team’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.
A stunning strike from Kevin De Bruyne was enough to give the reigning Premier League champions all three points at the Etihad on Saturday.
Lukaku had an afternoon to forget, missing a golden opportunity to give Chelsea the lead in the opening stages of the second half.
The Belgian also struggled to hold the ball up to bring fellow attackers Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech into play.
Chelsea failed to have a single shot in the first half, the first time that’s happened in the Premier League since their 3-0 defeat to Newcastle in May 2018.
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(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
And, speaking after the game, Tuchel did not seem happy with his £97.5million summer signing from Inter Milan.
“He had many ball losses without any pressure, many ball losses in very promising circumstances,” the German told reporters.
“He had a huge chance. We want to serve him, but he is part of the team, and the performance up front, particularly in the first half, we can do much, much better.”
Lukaku, who was recently forced to apologise after telling Italian reporters he was “not happy” at Stamford Bridge, has just five Premier League goals this season.
Tuchel added to BBC Sport: “Given the circumstances, if you look at our back five and how many players we missed, I’m happy with the performance, defensive-wise.
“In the second half we created counter chances. We had one big chance to even go ahead. We lost a tight match, which can happen.
“It was about individual quality, and we lacked quality up front if I’m honest.
“You have to wait for momentum. We had the same opportunities in the first half, but from eight or nine transition options we had zero touches in the box.
“The quality, the deliveries and the composure was absolutely not on top level today. You need top level to get half chances and chances, and that’s what we lacked in the first half.
“Our offensive players need to show up more. We need consistency. Chelsea is not a place to hide.”
(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea are now 13 points behind Man City in the Premier League title race and may need to focus on the cup competitions if they want to win silverware this season.
Liverpool can leapfrog the Blues into second with victory against Brentford at Anfield on Sunday.
When asked about their title hopes by BBC Sport, Tuchel said: “It’s about commitment. We can be sure that we’re trying.
“If City win 12 matches in a row and we’re struggling with injuries and Covid, it’s not the best time to close the gap. The gap is big because they deal better with Covid and better with injuries.”
Tuchel also told BT Sport: “It’s not my question to answer. We won’t give up, but if City keep on winning every game, nobody can catch them.”
Thomas Tuchel goes public with scathing Romelu Lukaku assessment after display vs Man City
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