KEY POINTS

  • Chelsea defeated Watford 2-1 in the league
  • Hakim Ziyech scored the winner for Chelsea
  • Chelsea will next take on West Ham on Saturday

Thomas Tuchel slammed Chelsea for a "sloppy" performance in their 2-1 win over Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Tuchel criticized Chelsea for struggling with basics and said his side got just "lucky" to earn three points at Vicarage Road.

Mason Mount opened the scoring for Chelsea with his 29th-minute strike before Hornets forward Emmanuel Dennis canceled the Blues' lead with an equalizer just before the half-time break. Hakim Ziyech, who has had a high and low season, rose to the occasion as he scored the winner to hand Chelsea three crucial points.

With the victory at Watford, Chelsea remained at the top of the league table, a point clear of second-placed Manchester City and two ahead of Liverpool FC.

"We were very sloppy. It was a very unusual performance from us. We were not ready. I'm involved in that, I have to get the team ready and prepare them for what's coming. For the first time, we were completely underperforming as a team. We did not cope well with the first balls, the pressure, the second balls," Tuchel said in a post-match conference after his side's 2-1 win, Chelsea's official website reported.

Tuchel went on to admit that his side lacked basics and needed to "change the mentality."

"It's one thing to win or lose challenges, but we did not even find them. We had the chance to speak about it in the break, and again at half-time. We tried to give easy messages because it was obvious we struggled in the build-up. We needed to do the basics better and change the mentality. We can admit we were lucky to win this game. I won't focus long on this match because we play again on Saturday," the German boss added.

Thomas Tuchel manager of Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel manager of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park on April 10, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. Getty Images/Marc Atkins

"There are some reasons it wasn't easy. Watford played with a lot of enthusiasm and we struggled with the basics. We are in this together and we got a lucky win today. We stole three points," Tuchel said further.

Chelsea's next assignment in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham on Saturday.

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