Chelsea lifted their first piece of silverware of the season after beating Villareal in the Super Cup after extra time
Blues’ manager Thomas Tuchel has told the press that extra time was the worst thing physically going into their first game of the season. Just three days after the final, Chelsea will face Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener.
The Super Cup finished 1-1 after 90 minutes with Hakim Ziyech and Gerard Moreno scoring. Extra time was a stalemate and the game was decided on penalties, where substitute Kepa Arrizabalaga made the winning save.
Tuchel has also said that winning the cup was the perfect message for the squad “mentally and psychologically.”
Speaking after the game, the Chelsea manager said:
“Physically this was the worst thing that could happen to us, playing extra time.
“Mentally, it was the best thing to happen. First, because there was no delay or playing it in four weeks. It was the moment we needed to start and that is why we choose the line-up.”
We did it!🏆
SuperCup✅@ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/HqzUNBJxAQ
— Kepa Arrizabalaga (@kepa_46) August 11, 2021
Tuchel’s lineup for his next game may include a few changes to the one that played the Super Cup final. Goalscorer Ziyech was forced off before halftime with a shoulder injury and is likely to be out for a few weeks.
Players such as Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mateo Kovacic, and Trevoh Chalobah were also given rare starts in the final. There is a good chance that they will be left out for Tuchel’s preferred choices, Reece James, Jorginho, and Thiago Silva.
With Romelu Lukaku yet to confirm his return to Chelsea, it is unlikely that he will make an appearance on the pitch at the weekend.
Chelsea will mount their Premier League title charge on Saturday 14th at 15:00 in Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace.
✅ EPL
✅ FA Cup
✅ UCL
✅ UEL
✅ Super Cup
Club World Cup 🔜 ?Club football almost complete for Kante ⏳ pic.twitter.com/0FSR0Su94k
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 11, 2021
