Chelsea "Clearly The Better Team" In 3-0 Loss To Leeds United, Says Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was adamant that his team were "clearly" better than Leeds United on Sunday despite leaving Elland Road as 3-0 losers.

It is hard to back up Tuchel's claim using statistics.

Although Chelsea had 60% of possession, they only registered three shots on target, compared to Leeds' six, while the home side were 1.90 goals ahead in terms of xG.

But Tuchel believes the result would have been very different had his team finished better and not given Leeds two "presents".

The first goal was certainly a gift. Tuchel even called it at "own goal", after Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy was tackled inside his own six-yard box by scorer Brenden Aaronson.

Leeds second goal arrived from a free-kick four minutes later when Rodrigo Moreno headed in from a Jack Harrison cross.

As quoted by FourFourTwo, Tuchel reflected: "We were clearly the better team. They do what they do but we were clearly the better team: I don't see that a set-piece and an own goal is due to the style, it's due to our mistakes."

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel pictured during his side's 3-0 defeat at Leeds United

IMAGO/News Images/James Heaton

Tuchel added: "[We had] a lot of touches in the box, but we missed the target. We didn't take what we deserved.

"We stopped doing what we did good, stopped doing it, then it was an even game for 15 minutes, in these 15 minutes we gave two presents and if you give two presents away in the Premier League, you lose."

Harrison scored Leeds' third goal in the second half before Chelsea were reduced to 10 men late on when Kalidou Koulibaly picked up a second yellow card.

Koulibaly will be suspended for next weekend's home game against Leicester.