Head coach Thomas Tuchel has criticised his Chelsea squad for failing to maintain their offensive mentality when taking a lead in matches.
Despite being 1-0 and 3-2 in front against Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday evening, the Blues ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils in Russia.
The setback was the latest occurrence of the Premier League outfit failing to hold onto an advantage, the previous time coming on Saturday when they twice led at West Ham United before losing 3-2 to their London rivals.
Tuchel feels that a trend has been established with the mindset of his players, something that he wants to eradicate over the coming games.
Speaking to reporters, Tuchel said: “My analysis is very clear: our behaviour changes when we have a lead and this is something we’ve never done and should never do.
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“The challenge is to close the door and minimise the possibility. We need a higher level of sprints, runs, concentration levels. The basics need to be pushed while we are in the lead. They can’t drop when we are in the lead. It’s not the big picture.”
Zenit’s last-gasp equaliser means that Chelsea have finished behind Juventus in their group, throwing up the possibility of facing Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the last 16.
