Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has refused suggestions that a lack of effort has hampered the Blues at Stamford Bridge, although he admits he is struggling to explain their poor home form.
Having fallen to a 4-2 home defeat against Arsenal on Wednesday, Tuchel's men have lost three consecutive games at Stamford Bridge after a 4-1 Premier League loss to Brentford and a 3-1 Champions League quarter-final reverse to Real Madrid earlier this month.
Chelsea host West Ham on Sunday, looking to solidify their grasp on third place in the Premier League after losing just one of their last 15 home league games against the Irons (10 wins, four draws).
Although unsure as to what was causing the Blues' Stamford Bridge woes, Tuchel refused suggestions that a lack of effort was to blame.
The 48-year-old also insisted it was normal for elite players to feel less "tension" during regular league games than in European knockout games, having watched the Blues make multiple defensive errors in their defeat to the Gunners.
"It comes back to me because I should push them and make them alert," Tuchel said. "It's human to be tired, human to be more alert in a knockout game than a normal match. Sometimes it's also good, the foundation to be able to play 60 games.
"I remember at Mainz [Tuchel's first senior management role] with one game a week, every game was like a cup final. On a Saturday, we gave 150 per cent physically but also mentally, the players were drained until Tuesday.
"Once I stepped into being coach at Borussia Dortmund, I saw that players gave everything physically on a normal match but mentally it was not the same stress level as for players at Mainz. They were capable of playing more games.
"It's a thin line in judging – that's why lazy is the wrong word. But it's okay to feel less tension in a normal match in the Premier League and a home match than if you go to the Bernabeu.
"It's normal because it is maybe less tension, less excitement, less pressure. But it cannot lead to being less alert. This can never happen.
"I don't know what it is [causing Chelsea's poor home form]. If it was just the one thing, we would switch dressing rooms or take another hotel or something like this.
"But that would maybe be more superstition than anything else. I have no solution, but it's also not the level that we want to produce in home games."
Chelsea have secured 26 points from a possible 45 in their 15 home Premier League games this season (seven wins, five draws, three defeats). Away from Stamford Bridge, Tuchel's team have taken 36 points from 16 games (11 wins, three draws, two losses).
The Blues' attempts to rectify their poor home displays could be buoyed, however, by the poor travelling record of Sunday's visitors, with West Ham failing to win a Premier League game on their travels since beating Crystal Palace on January 1, recording one draw and four defeats on the road since then.
Yamal ruled out of Serbia clash due to muscle injury
Lamine Yamal will miss Spain's Nations League clash against Serbia after sustaining a muscle injury during their 1-0 win over Denmark on Saturday.
Yamal was replaced by Sergio Gomez in the 93rd minute of their encounter at the Estadio Nueva Condomina and was seen limping after the game.
He had endured multiple tackles during the contest, raising concerns over his fitness. Despite the precautionary exit, the Spanish medical team found no significant injury.
The 17-year-old has since been replaced in Luis de la Fuente's squad by Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo Riquelme for the match against Serbia in Cordoba.
"The tests did not reveal any structural injury, and the medical staff of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed it is a case of muscle strain," the Spain national team said in a statement on Sunday.
"Prioritising the player's health and to avoid any risk of injury ahead of the upcoming match against Serbia, it has been decided to withdraw him from the squad."
Yamal has continued his impressive form from Euro 2024 into the current LaLiga season for Barcelona, scoring five goals in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Only Sevilla's Chidera Ejuke (28) has completed more dribbles in the league than Yamal (27), with his 18 chances created for Hansi Flick's side, a total only bettered by Raphinha (32) in Barcelona's ranks.
Yamal announced himself on the international stage during Spain's European Championship success earlier this year, notching four assists and one goal at the tournament.
While only in the infancy of his promising career, Spain head coach De la Fuente believes the treatment Yamal is currently experiencing is something he must get used to.
"The referee has to protect these talented players, but Lamine has to get used to it. I would love it to be a bed of roses, Flower Power, but this sport is like that," De la Fuente said.
"Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a special talent.
"I had a teammate who used to say: 'What do you want, kisses (from the opponents)?' Teams will use the weapons they can within the rules."
Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City: Shaw grabs late winner at Anfield
Khadija Shaw's second-half double propelled Manchester City to a 2-1 win over Liverpool as they capped off a fine week in style.
Olivia Smith's stinging 41st-minute strike put the Reds ahead at Anfield on Sunday, but last season's leading Women's Super League scorer Shaw inspired the City comeback.
The Jamaican headed in from Lauren Hemp's pinpoint delivery in the 58th minute, before taking centre stage late on.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Shaw shrugged off the challenge of Niamh Fahey and lashed home a venomous effort into the top-right corner to secure the points for Gareth Taylor's team.
The victory ends a fantastic week for City, who beat Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday and moved top of the WSL with 10 points from their four matches.
Data Debrief: Liverpool's Anfield hoodoo
City won the corresponding fixture 4-1 last season, but were pushed much closer this time around before eventually claiming their ninth win against the Reds in the space of 11 meetings in the WSL.
Liverpool might want to reconsider whether they play their biggest matches at Anfield, too, given they have now played four WSL matches there and lost every single one (three to Everton, one to Man City).
City are now unbeaten in their opening four WSL matches for the first time since 2019-20, and last year's runners-up look well set to challenge again this term.
Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement after Anfield exit
Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
Matip, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, has been without a club since leaving Anfield at the end of last season and has since decided to call time on his 15-year career.
The 33-year-old started out at Schalke, making 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and helping them lift the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup in 2011.
Matip was among the first signings made by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, joining in the same window as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius.
He helped the Reds return to the Champions League in Klopp's first full campaign in charge, making 29 Premier League appearances and keeping nine clean sheets.
However, his spell with the Reds was marred by repetitive injuries, sustaining 16 different issues across his eight-year spell on Merseyside.
The former Cameroon international's final appearance for Liverpool came in a 4-3 win over Fulham in December 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the same game.
Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and winning six major honours, which included the Reds' sixth Champions League triumph.
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