Tuchel on “Lukaku can handle pressure and adversity.”
Thomas Tuchel was pleased by Romelu Lukaku’s reaction after being restored to the starting line-up in Chelsea’s EFL Cup win over Tottenham.
Thomas Tuchel praised the performance of the returning Romelu Lukaku after Chelsea’s EFL Cup win over Tottenham.
The Blues took a huge step towards reaching the final after claiming a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the last-four tie at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku was back to the starting line-up after leaving the squad for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool due to comments made in the Italian media.
The former Inter striker said he was “not very happy with the situation” he finds himself in a while expressing a desire to return to the Nerazzurri one day.
However, the Belgium international subsequently apologized to Tuchel and the fans on the club’s official website.
He played the full 90 minutes against Spurs, recording game-high tallies of three shots on goal and two on target – and the head coach was pleased with his contribution under challenging circumstances.
Asked what he made of Lukaku’s performance, he told Sky Sports: “Good, absolutely happy. I was pretty sure nothing happened to him.
“I see him daily. Even in the last few days, he seemed relaxed, refined with the situation and mentally moved on.
“Romelu can handle pressure and adversity. It was a good performance; he contributed a lot to our defensive setup and had chances.”
Tuchel also praised the focus and commitment of his players, although he believes they could have increased their margin of victory.
“It seems like a deserved win, an excellent result because it reflects the game,” he added. “Chelsea could have scored more, but it is hard to score against Tottenham.
“We did create a lot – some huge chances – it could have been possible to score more.
“We never lost the focus; [we] never lost the commitment.”
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