Thomas Tuchel has confirmed Antonio Rudiger will leave Chelsea this summer, and hinted at what role he’ll have in his final months with the Blues.
Chelsea overcame an error-strewn display and a dismal missed penalty to snatch all three points in the final moments against West Ham.
The Blues toiled throughout the first half, with slips, misplaced passes and a general lack of intent clouding their performance.
A marked improvement was forthcoming after the break, though finding a way past Craig Dawson in particular was proving difficult.
However, the centre-back blotted what was otherwise an outstanding display when hauling Romelu Lukaku to the ground late on. Dawson saw red, though Jorginho fluffed his lines from the spot.
Yet the late drama didn’t end there when Christian Pulisic tucked home Marcos Alonso’s cut-back in the 90th minute.
MATCH REPORT: Pulisic spares Jorginho blushes as Chelsea snatch last-gasp winner after West Ham see red
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Tuchel said: “It seemed a bit stuck, but we knew it.
“It can feel like this against West Ham who defend with a lot of bodies and discipline. We have to wait for the moments.
“We had some accelerations with Mason [Mount] from midfield but nobody was joining. It felt stuck. We controlled it but could not find spaces. It was also not the moment to take every risk after our recent results. We wanted to control their counter attacks. The red card maybe opened more space to allow the late answer.”
On Jorginho’s failure from the spot, Tuchel’s response suggested he still has faith in the midfielder’s unusual technique.
“It works for us normally to 100 percent,” added the German.
“It was never necessary to change. It can happen. Hopefully it is an unusual thing. He is disappointed but happy we could turn it around.”
Tuchel confirms Rudiger will leave Chelsea
Speculation had begun to swirl regarding this season being Antonio Rudiger’s last at Stamford Bridge.
The…