Thomas Tuchel expressed his delight with a "controlled and serious" performance that guided Chelsea into the FA Cup final.

Chelsea reached a third successive FA Cup final, matching the feat achieved by Arsenal between 2000-01 and 2002-03, with a 2-0 triumph over Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace at Wembley.

Substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring in the 65th minute with his first goal in any competition since November 2020, before Mason Mount sealed semi-final success with 14 minutes remaining.

The 2021-22 campaign now marks Mount's new-best scoring season, with his 12th strike this term surpassing his 11-goal haul for Championship side Derby County in 2018-19.

Tuchel, who has progressed from each of the 11 semi-final ties in his managerial career, congratulated his players for their efforts amid a hectic schedule, with Chelsea having slipped out of the Champions League after going to extra-time against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

"It was not easy because we played three games in three different competitions," Tuchel told ITV Sport. 

"It is not always easy, very challenging physically, we are the team with the most minutes in Europe I think, it is also challenging mentally.

"I thought the performance was very controlled and very serious, we took care of their counter-attacks. It was hard, the opponent changed system twice, you cannot lose focus for a minute."

Tuchel also reserved special praise for Loftus-Cheek, who scored his first Chelsea goal since May 2019, when he netted in a Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

"He [Ruben Loftus-Cheek] was very, very strong in matches against Southampton and Real Madrid, he would have deserved to start," said Tuchel.

"We knew Ruben would have a big impact off the bench. I am very happy.

"He hid his talent and potential for a long time in his career. He is capable of producing performances that everyone sees on the pitch. For him, it is step by step that he continues to grow in his confidence."

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool stand in the way of Chelsea in the final, and it will be the second time the same two sides have competed in the EFL Cup and FA Cup showpiece events in the same season, after Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday met in both competitions in 1992-93.

Tuchel, though, cannot wait to renew his battle with the quadruple-hunting Liverpool, who ran out penalty shoot-out victors in the EFL Cup in late February and defeated Premier League title rivals Manchester City in Saturday's semi-final.

"I am happy to be part of it again, I cannot be more excited and more proud because it is a huge competition. We will be ready," he added.

Romelu Lukaku should look at Timo Werner for inspiration if he plays any part in Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace on Sunday, according to Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.

Werner has endured a largely difficult time at Stamford Bridge since arriving from RB Leipzig in June 2020, but he has shone in the past week.

He followed up a brace in the 6-0 Premier League win over Southampton last weekend with another goal in the Champions League quarter-final second-leg win at Real Madrid in midweek.

Like Werner, Lukaku has had difficulties since joining the club from Inter ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

He has scored just five goals and registered zero assists in his 12 Premier League starts, while he has created only 16 opportunities and converted 17.2 per cent of his 29 shots, just 11 of which have been on target.

Lukaku's 12 goals in all competitions only marginally exceeds his expected goals (xG) of 11.8, however, showing he is at least scoring at a rate that reflects the quality of chances that have come his way.

But the fact his xG is not higher suggests a lack of cohesion between Lukaku and his team-mates.

The Belgium international has missed Chelsea's last two games through injury, although he returned to training this week and is expected to play some part in Sunday's last-four clash at Wembley.

Asked if the 28-year-old needs to emulate Werner if he is selected against Palace, Tuchel told a media conference: "For sure. He had a huge chance against Real Madrid [at home] and things can go so fast.

"Nobody knows what this goal would have done for us if he had taken his chance with the late header in the first leg.

"It is exactly what he needs to do. Wait, be patient, work hard and put the team first, be ready to help the team, because as a striker you can help within seconds.

"Especially for strikers, things can be turned around in minutes, in moments. Whole careers can be upside down and in any direction but always as a striker you can have a chance to put things into your favour, as a substitute or if you have the chance to perform from the beginning."

Chelsea have won each of their last nine fixtures with Palace, all coming in the Premier League.

In the club's history, they have enjoyed five separate instances of 10 or more successive wins against an opponent, most recently a run of 11 versus Brighton and Hove Albion between 1967 and 2019.

Thomas Tuchel is relieved Chelsea have the opportunity to quickly get back on track in their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace, for which Romelu Lukaku may be available.

A huge week for Chelsea has been a difficult one so far, as their outstanding performance away to Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final was not enough to advance.

Trailing 3-1 from the home leg, the defending European champions were heading through when Timo Werner put them three up, only for Madrid to respond with goals from Rodrygo in normal time and Karim Benzema in extra time.

With Chelsea relatively secure in third place in the Premier League, their main focus now is on the FA Cup.

The Blues at least came through the Madrid second leg unscathed, with Tuchel's only update before the Palace game on the potential return of record signing Lukaku.

"Romelu was back in training yesterday [Thursday]. Let's see if he has any reaction or not," Tuchel told a pre-match news conference. "Then everybody should be okay."

The Chelsea coach will be looking to preserve his fine semi-final record, having won 11 and drawn one of his 12 previous such matches.

And Tuchel believes Chelsea will benefit from being thrust straight into another big match – this their first FA Cup tie against London rivals Palace since 1975-76, with the two teams each winning two of the four prior meetings.

"I think we are all a bit in between," Tuchel said. "Confidence wise, I think it's a huge boost, but still it's a disappointment to go out of the Champions League in the quarter-final.

"It's not a big drama, not in this kind of way, but still it's a big disappointment, because we feel like we could be one of the four teams in the semi-final.

"It's a weird feeling, because we had a huge task to go to Madrid, needing to win with a minimum of two goals to make it to extra time. We were three goals ahead.

"In a knockout game in the Bernabeu, it's a fantastic performance and stays like this. But it tastes bitter, because we're out of the Champions League.

"In both legs, we did too many individual mistakes, too many mistakes that were punished by individual quality.

"It's still a little bit in between for me, but we bounced back from the two results and the two performances against Brentford and Madrid at home.

"We won both games after that and there's a big knockout game coming at Wembley, which is, in my opinion, a good thing. There's a huge reward coming with it, so it's not a normal game in the Premier League to collect points, but it's straight away another knockout match."

Chelsea have plenty of experience of matches of this magnitude, too. Having lost the EFL Cup final to Liverpool earlier this season, they are playing multiple games at Wembley in a sixth consecutive campaign, with this their 40th appearance at the national stadium when used as a neutral venue.

Indeed, only Arsenal and Manchester United (both 30) have more FA Cup semi-final appearances than Chelsea (26).

The Blues have lost their past two FA Cup London derbies, although both were to Arsenal. Their past six FA Cup defeats to teams from the capital were against Arsenal.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel insists he has "no regrets" after his side's dramatic Champions League quarter-final exit to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The Blues overturned Madrid's 3-1 advantage from the first leg last week through goals from Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner, yet Rodrygo's volley forced the tie into extra time.

Karim Benzema had the final say, heading home six minutes into additional time to seal a 5-4 aggregate victory. 

Chelsea became just the second English team to score three goals away against Los Blancos in all European competitions, after Manchester United did so in a 3-3 draw in the European Cup in May 1968.

That was not enough to help the holders into the last four, however, and although Tuchel was proud of his players' efforts, he lamented their inability to cut out the mistakes over both legs.

"We were unlucky," he told a media conference. "That is why we are disappointed. We were beaten by individual quality and conversion. We made two mistakes, two ball losses. We deserved to go through after this match today. It was not meant to be.

"We have to reduce our amount of mistakes and we could not reduce them to a minimum over the two legs. We had two crucial ball losses.

"There are no regrets. These are the kind of defeat you can take with pride as a sportsman.

"The players lived up to the plan in a very different way that we did against Brentford and in the first leg. 

"We were very disciplined on the ball and very active and invested off the ball. We showed courage and from there we showed our quality. This is the right way to do it. If we have this kind of effort, we are a special team."

Marcos Alonso saw an effort ruled out by VAR for handball shortly before Werner's third, and Tuchel was disappointed that referee Szymon Marciniak did not view the incident on the pitchside monitor before the strike was disallowed.

Asked if decisions went against his side, Tuchel said: "Not only today. When you play against Real Madrid, maybe you don't expect everyone has the courage.

"I felt the little decisions in the first leg and today as well. I didn't see the goal but I am super disappointed he didn't come out and check it on his own. You should stay the boss and not give the decisions to someone in a chair and who is isolated."

Chelsea are next in action on Sunday when they face Crystal Palace in an FA Cup semi-final clash. 

Thomas Tuchel says it will be "almost impossible" for Chelsea to avoid a Champions League exit but they must dream of fighting back to knock Real Madrid out.

A Karim Benzema consigned the holders to a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the quarter-final tie at Stamford Bridge last week.

Chelsea responded to that loss by hammering Southampton 6-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, while Madrid stayed on course to be crowned LaLiga champions with a 2-0 victory over Getafe.

The Blues, who will be without injured record signing Romelu Lukaku due to an Achilles injury, have a mountain to climb at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday and Tuchel is realistic over their chances of progressing to the last four.

But the German expects his side to put up more of a fight than they did in London last week.

He said: "It's one of the biggest challenges to perform as an away team at the Bernabeu. If you have to win by at least two goals, it is very difficult, almost impossible. We need to overperform.

He added: "We never manage our input and effort by chances we have for a result, we never did and will not start tomorrow by giving less because it's very unlikely we will make it.

"It's unlikely, but we will try, we will play to our full limit. It's a big night and a big match and we wll try to be in better shape and in a better condition than in the first leg."

Tuchel says Chelsea must arrive in the Spanish capital with belief they can pull off a stunning comeback.

"We need nothing else than a fantastic script," he said. "The task is incredibly high after the first leg. You're always allowed to dream and sometimes it is important to imagine and dream about things, but it doesn't change the fact we need to be ready to deliver.

"We will try hard, it's worth trying. Hopefully we can fulfil our dream, but realistically we have to invest a lot."

Cesar Azpilicueta is available after testing negative for COVID-19, while Callum Hudson-Odoi remains sidelined with an Achilles injury and Ross Barkley is out due to illness.

Timo Werner showed why he is still an important player for Chelsea by scoring a pair of goals in Saturday's 6-0 thrashing of Southampton. 

A £47.5million move from RB Leipzig to Stamford Bridge in June 2020 is yet to work out for Werner, whose double at St Mary's took him to nine Premier League goals in 51 appearances. 

All three of the 26-year-old's league goals this season have come against Saints, with his overall tally against them standing at five. He is yet to score against any other opponent more than once in the Premier League.

Werner could have easily scored more against Southampton – he hit the woodwork three times in the first half – but Mason Mount's double and goals from Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz contributed to a resounding success. 

His poor form coupled with recent comments that he is "more comfortable" playing for Germany have cast doubt on the striker's future at Chelsea. 

However, head coach Tuchel insists Werner's performance against Saints showed exactly what he can bring to the table for the Blues. 

"It was his position, it was the players around him, the connection with Mason, Kai, Kova [Mateo Kovacic] – he loves to play with and has a connection to the players," said Tuchel. 

"It was the half-left position as the double striker, it was an opponent who we could find spaces in behind against because they're a high attacking team. 

"It was set up for him to deliver, it was not in a 4-1-4-1 on the side. Everything was there to deliver and make a statement that he did not give up and he is still an important player for this club and this group. And he did deliver." 

It was an emphatic return to form for Chelsea, who suffered a 4-1 loss to Brentford in the Premier League last weekend and went down 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. 

Tuchel felt the Blues' change in fortunes showed they cannot afford to not have their priorities right when they step onto the pitch, as they will be punished otherwise. 

"I think it tells us that we are not the team to escape with results if our input isn't 80 to 90 per cent of energy, commitment and investment. We are a special group when we have our priorities right," said Tuchel. 

"If we are committed, defend with courage, have the attitude right and hunger right, and are clear that this is our foundation to show the quality, then we are a strong group and have [every] right to believe in ourselves. 

"We are not the fancy group who comes with just quality and get away with just 80 to 90 per cent investment, commitment to the whole game. 

"It's not always easy for us to have this hunger and commitment because we come from a ruthless schedule, that's why it's not always easy. 

"It's not about blaming the players, I understand why it was hard for us after the international break, but it just proves the point today that if we have this right and we show our quality, which is what makes us dangerous." 

Timo Werner and Mason Mount registered doubles as Chelsea dismantled Southampton and claimed an outstanding 6-0 victory at St Mary's in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Following the disappointment of home losses to Brentford in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals in their previous two outings, Chelsea were back on song on the south coast. 

Marcos Alonso, Mount, Werner and Kai Havertz all hit the back of the net as Thomas Tuchel's side blew Saints away and surged into a four-goal lead inside just 31 minutes. 

Werner and Mount were on target early in the second half to complete the rout and open up an eight-point gap to fifth-placed Arsenal, who lost at home to Brighton and Hove Albion. 

The pressure from Chelsea was incessant early on and they took the lead when Alonso drilled home a cushioned pass from Mount, who rifled in a brilliant second from 20 yards. 

After hitting the woodwork twice, Werner finally had a goal when he pounced on a loose header from James Ward-Prowse at the halfway line and held off Jan Bednarek before rounding Fraser Forster. 

Havertz tucked home a simple finish in the 31st minute when Werner's shot came back off the upright, and only a trio of strong saves from Forster stopped the gap increasing before half-time. 

The onslaught continued after the break with Werner rolling the ball into an empty net after Forster parried N'Golo Kante's dink straight to him. 

Edouard Mendy kept Che Adams at bay on a rare Saints attack and Chelsea punished his miss when Mount converted on the follow-up after Forster kept Christian Pulisic and Werner out. 

Alonso and Reece James went close but Southampton were able to get to the final whistle without conceding another goal, though Chelsea's confidence will have been sufficiently boosted before their second leg against Madrid. 

What does it mean? Chelsea's rip-roaring start makes the difference 

With Alonso, Mount and Werner finding the net in the opening 21 minutes, Chelsea had their earliest three-goal lead ever in a Premier League away game. 

It was four 10 minutes later, meaning they were the quickest to reach that tally away from home in a top-flight game since October 2011, when Chelsea needed just 27 minutes at Bolton Wanderers. 

The incredible start meant the game was all but done by half-time and Chelsea were able to cruise to the final whistle. 

Mount on top 

In a little over a quarter of an hour, Mount had a goal and an assist for Chelsea. It was the fifth time he has scored and set up another in the same game this season, with Mohamed Salah (also five) the only player to match him. 

Another Hasenhuttl horror show 

Southampton conceded at least four goals in a single half for the 21st time in their Premier League history. Seven of those instances have now come under Ralph Hasenhuttl. 

What's next? 

Chelsea travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Madrid, while Southampton have a week to recover before the visit of Arsenal in the Premier League. 

Thomas Tuchel delivered some home truths to his Chelsea players in a private meeting as he got frustrations off his chest after brutal defeats to Brentford and Real Madrid.

The Chelsea boss revealed the gathering, which took place on Thursday, was not one where he encouraged the players to play any part other than listening to his point of view.

Such sessions often offer a forum for debate, but this time Tuchel aired his disappointment, pointed out where the team were going wrong, and said the players would have his support as they attempt to get back on track.

"It was not a discussion-type of a meeting yesterday. It was more like i gave my point of view," Tuchel told a news conference on Friday. "That's sometimes also necessary.

"We take the players' views very seriously and often into account, but over the last two games we thought it may be necessary to give our point of view, but behind closed doors and in an atmosphere where everyone can take criticism.

"We don't point fingers, and we don't look for people who are guilty. We're in this together. We needed to point out some things in our game about which we are not happy and how we could have defended better, done better."

Chelsea were beaten 4-1 by Brentford in the Premier League last weekend, before sliding to a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Madrid.

Hopes of retaining their title as European champions are looking slim, and Tuchel said Chelsea "lacked structure" as they fell to a Karim Benzema hat-trick.

"I felt we gave a huge opportunity away," Tuchel said, explaining his need to address the squad.

"It's not normal to play quarter-finals in the Champions League, and it was a huge night and a huge opportunity, and we were not at our best level. That's why we were not only disappointed but also angry.

"For me, it's best to express it like it is, and don't hide. We need to stop this kind of direction as soon as possible.

Striker Romelu Lukaku could miss the trip to Southampton on Saturday with an Achilles problem, with Tuchel hoping the St Mary's game sees third-placed Chelsea deliver a more assured display.

Chelsea have lost just one of their 13 Premier League games at St Mary's against Southampton (W9 D3) and are unbeaten in their last eight visits since a 2-1 loss in March 2013.

Southampton have also lost their last two home Premier League matches, as many as in their previous 18 at St Mary's (W8 D8).

Chelsea have never suffered consecutive league defeats under Tuchel, last doing so in December 2020 during Frank Lampard's time as boss. Tuchel has managed the most Premier League matches without losing consecutive games in the history of the Premier League (48).

Tuchel hopes the team meeting will have had an empowering impact, but he said: "I don't know if it's a turning point. The process yesterday was to be honest with the team and to explain your reactions and why it's like this. I think it's necessary that the players understand it, and then they can handle it if the manager is sometimes angry.

"I had some reasons and presented my reasons. Nobody will lack support from now on, and my love and my appreciation for how they are as a group and how they are as players."

Thomas Tuchel slammed Chelsea’s first-half performance in their defeat by Real Madrid, describing it as "one of the worst” he has seen at Stamford Bridge.

The reigning Champions League holders have work to do in the second leg of their quarter-final tie after going down 3-1 against a Karim Benzema-inspired Madrid.

Benzema’s hat-trick proved crucial as former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti, who only travelled to London on Wednesday after returning a negative COVID-19 test, enjoyed a victorious return to the Bridge.

The France international put Los Blancos in control with a brace of headers the first half – in which the Blues won just 14 of their 36 duels – while capitalising on Edouard Mendy's mistake to complete his treble just after the restart.

That made it back-to-back home defeats for Tuchel’s side, who were also thumped 4-1 by Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Next up for the Blues is a trip to Southampton next weekend before the return leg at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

The German did not hold back in his assessment of the performance, and fears the consequences should his players not raise their levels.

He told BT Sport: "It is a heavy loss. It was one of the worst first halves that I saw from us here at Stamford Bridge. Individually and as a team, it was by far not enough.

"[The] first half was so from any standards that we set ourselves that we cannot complain when we lose.

"We had 12 shots in the second half. You can always come back and win it but when you kill the game by yourself after 45 minutes, it is harder and harder.

"If we keep playing like this, we will lose at Southampton, and then we will get hammered at [Santiago] Bernabeu."

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is not concerned about Andreas Christensen's commitment to the cause at Stamford Bridge.

Centre-back Christensen was a crucial part of Chelsea's success under Tuchel last season.

However, the Denmark international is out of contract at the end of this season and so far no extension has been agreed.

According to reports, a move to Barcelona is already lined up, with Christensen thought to be one of the players Joan Laporta referred to when he confirmed that the Catalan giants had secured the signings of two out-of-contract players for next season.

Christensen last featured against Lille on March 16, having been left out for what Tuchel explained as tactical reasons on Saturday, when Chelsea were thrashed 4-1 by Brentford.

The 25-year-old's future was brought up in Tuchel's news conference ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, with the issue of a potential lack of commitment mooted.

"No. No concerns," Tuchel replied. "Maybe it is a bit more challenging for him than normal, in a moment where everything is clear or you're fully committed to the club you play for, which is us and Chelsea.

"Maybe he cleared his future, I don't know it yet, but for me it was very clear when I started, and the bottom line in conversations I had with him was that as long as you're my player I expect you to be 100 per cent committed and I will not accept anything less.

"I will not start digging into how committed is he now, this only leads to distraction. This is what I demand from him. That he was out on Saturday was only a tactical choice to play with a back four.

"He is our player and we want to have the most of him. He needs to be focused, he needs to be determined, and this is what we expect from him. And I think it is what we can expect from him."

Christensen has featured 26 times in all competitions for Chelsea this term, starting seven games out of the eight the Blues have played in the Champions League.

While it seems likely this season will be Christensen's last at Chelsea, Tuchel has no ill feelings towards him.

The German does, however, believe that Christensen should remember the opportunities he has had to develop at Chelsea.

"The situation of the club was pretty sure. I think I gave you an honest statement that he is in exactly the right place for his journey," Tuchel said.

"That he could continue with this club and become the defender that he can be, the real personality and the playing minutes figure that he wants to be.

"In my opinion, he shouldn't forget where he comes from, where his education comes from, where is home and that's just my opinion. He needs that kind of environment to bring the best out of him.

"That's just my opinion and I gave it some weeks ago but the talks in autumn and the summer were constant talks. We are in exchange with our players of course. I hope that my talks didn't make him want to leave but I don't think so.

"You cannot take these things personally. If he decides to take his career elsewhere, it is his decision. We understand it, maybe we don't need to agree. We will not take it personally.

"As long as he is our player, he is our player and I will not stop demanding from him. He needs to be fully, fully committed, this is what we expect and have experienced. You will have to ask him about his decision and what the reasons are."

Thomas Tuchel is anticipating a "special" experience for Chelsea ahead of their tie against Real Madrid and the Blues rates Karim Benzema as one of the best players in the world.

Chelsea host LaLiga leaders Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday. Tuchel's team beat Los Blancos 3-1 over two legs in the semi-finals last season en route to becoming European champions for a second time.

The holders could become the first English team to eliminate Madrid from the knockout stages of the competition on multiple occasions.

History is certainly on Chelsea's side, with Madrid having faced the team from west London more times without winning than they have against any other side in European competition (five).

Madrid have been crowned European champions a record 13 times, and under Zinedine Zidane, won the Champions League for three straight seasons between 2015-16 and 2017-18.

While Tuchel is relishing a memorable occasion when his side faces a heavyweight of world football, though he is confident Chelsea will not be overawed.

"It's hard to keep that record," he said of Madrid's recent failure to reach the Champions League final, which they last did in 2018 when Gareth Bale inspired them to victory over Liverpool.

"They won it three times, this competition [in a row], they did it with a very similar squad over a long period of time which is absolutely impressive, outstanding.

"I think it's normal that cycles like this change at some point, in terms of winning streaks, reaching the final, and this is what happened to them. We should be very aware that teams with this type of flair, experience and quality can produce special moments and nights and occasions.

"For us it's also a pretty special occasion – to play against Real Madrid in a quarter-final – and so that's why we feel pretty excited and we don’t lose too much sleep to think about where they are in Europe.

"We want to prove a point, prove it to ourselves, that's the target. The occasion is special and the opponent is special and that's why we are very excited about it."

Asked whether last season's tie has any bearing on this month's matches, Tuchel replied: "I think it has nothing to do with last season's game. Honestly. I did not look at it in the preparation."

Benzema netted Madrid's only goal in that tie and the striker is the reason that Carlo Ancelotti's team progressed to the last eight this time around, with his hat-trick dumping Paris Saint-Germain out in the last 16.

The 34-year-old has scored eight goals in the Champions League this season, which is already his most in a single campaign. If he scores in this game, he would set a new season-best for goals by a Frenchman in the competition.

"I said maybe two years ago he was one of the most underrated players in world football," Tuchel said of Benzema.

"I think maybe not anymore, which he absolutely deserves because he plays for so many years as a number nine for Madrid, speaks for itself, and what he did in the last stage for them, how he carried the responsibility and what a key part he plays for them as a captain now, is very impressive.

"For sure a standout personality but again right now, in this very moment, very unfair to Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, all the guys who have carried this team so successfully almost a decade now."

Chelsea's preparations for the first leg could hardly be considered positive, given they lost 4-1 at home to Brentford on Saturday in the Premier League, and Tuchel is expecting better from not only his players, but the Stamford Bridge faithful too.

"We need it and we need to be better on the pitch. We're the first to admit it, but we need the crowd to be better. We need everybody on the front foot," he added.

Thomas Tuchel denied Chelsea's upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid provided a distraction after watching his team fall to a 4-1 loss to Brentford on Saturday.

The Blues opened the scoring three minutes after half-time through Antonio Rudiger, but a stunning Brentford comeback condemned them to their first Premier League defeat since January 15, as Christian Eriksen and Yoane Wissa added to Vitaly Janelt's brace.

Chelsea's remarkable collapse saw them concede four or more goals at home to a newly promoted side for just the second time in Premier League history, with the previous occasion also coming under Tuchel's management in a 5-2 loss to West Bromwich Albion in April 2021.

With the European champions due to host Madrid in a huge quarter-final contest on Wednesday, Tuchel made four changes to his side, but was adamant that nobody at Stamford Bridge had looked any further ahead than their clash with the Bees.

"We selected the team because we thought it was the best team against Brentford," Tuchel insisted. "Not with half an eye, or one percent of one, on Real Madrid.

"It's more difficult for us than them to play as the underdog and be well prepared for this match. We are well prepared, but had one half of a training session [after the return of Chelsea's internationals].

"It is more difficult, but in the context of all this I am okay with the first half. The half-time speech was like this, a reminder to keep on going.

"We started very well [in the second half]. I did not see the distraction there, so why should we be distracted and think about Real Madrid when we are one goal ahead?

"Maybe it was the general feeling that now we are ahead and have it [which led to the turnaround], and we got punished for that."

Brentford's stunning triumph represents the joint-biggest away Premier League victory managed by a newly promoted team against a side starting the day in the top three of the table, alongside Leeds United's 3-0 win at Aston Villa in October 2020.

Despite accusing his team of having "stopped defending" in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, Tuchel said he would not make a "drama" of the shock result, putting it down as a one-off.

"It seems like it [a blip]," he added. "After so many wins and so many good results, I will now refuse to make a drama out of it. 

"Why should we? Brentford made a lot of the ten minutes we gave them. After the third goal, we had a disallowed goal, a pressing situation against the goalkeeper, and another big chance from Kai Havertz. 

"We missed all three of them and there was a feeling that it wasn't our day, so it's a mixture of everything. 

"We will dig in and try to find out why it was like this. It's hard to take because it's very unusual for us, what happened today. [But] we will refocus on Monday."

Thomas Tuchel said Chelsea "stopped defending" as Brentford ran riot in a sensational 4-1 derby victory at Stamford Bridge.

Brentford stunned the European champions on Saturday, emphatically securing a first win over their west London rivals since 1939.

Antonio Rudiger's long-range thunderbolt put the Blues in front early in the second half, but Thomas Frank's side hit back with three goals in the space of 10 minutes.

Vitaly Janelt struck twice either side of Christian Eriksen's first goal for Brentford and Yoane Wissa added a fourth in the closing stages just after coming on.

Chelsea had won five consecutive games since Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale, but they were picked off time and again as rampant Brentford moved 11 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Blues head coach Tuchel felt his side's performance was out of character ahead of a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

He told BBC Sport: "Nobody saw it coming, especially after going 1-0 ahead. It was very untypical of us. But we stopped defending. We were not aware of enough of the danger, were sloppy with the defending and got punished.

"They made the most of it in those 10 minutes. Right after their third goal we had 10 minutes where we had big, big chances and we missed them.

"They were lucky and clinical enough to get three goals. We did not defend like it is needed to in the Premier League and got punished."

Tuchel had expected third-placed Chelsea to be vulnerable in their first game back after the international break.

He explained: "The start was not a surprise because we came from all over the world from national duty so I expected it to take time. The first 25 minutes we looked a bit leggy and needed to find rhythm.

"The opponent defended deep with 10 men behind the ball, so you need a shot or action to open the game, which we did. Then we gave the game away very cheaply."

Chelsea will now regroup before doing battle with LaLiga leaders Madrid at Stamford Bridge in midweek.

"It is not about Real Madrid. It is about us. It is one day off now and on Monday we start again," he said.

The best teams in the world are circling Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, who has 23 goals and six assists in 23 club appearances this season.

The 21-year-old Norwegian was ruled out of Barcelona's price range earlier this week by president Joan Laporta, but there are some clubs who can stomach the asking price.

While there will be an array of suitors investigating if a move will be possible for their club, Manchester City and Real Madrid are the most likely to put their money where their mouths are.

TOP STORY – MANCHESTER CITY HAVE UPPER HAND IN HAALAND SWEEPSTAKES

ESPN is reporting City are "optimistic they can see off competition from Real Madrid" in the race for Haaland's services.

City are said to be in the market for a striker, and are confident they can pay the reported €75million release clause in Haaland's Dortmund contract.

After the departures of Angelino, Ferran Torres and Jack Harrison for a combined €85m, City are in a position of financial strength heading into the upcoming transfer period.

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– Manchester United have reignited their chase of Villareal defender Pau Torres, according to 90min. Torres was a target for the Red Devils before they ultimately signed Raphael Varane back in August.

– Barcelona will look to bring in French forward Alexandre Lacazette on a free transfer after his contract expires at Arsenal after this season, reports Diario SPORT.

– Football Insider is reporting Aston Villa are planning on spending more than £150m in the next transfer window, breaking their previous spending record.

– Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is confident in retaining the services of defender Antonio Rudiger with a new contract, according to Goal.

– El Nacional is reporting Real Madrid believe they can land Arsenal target Karim Adeyemi from Red Bull Salzburg.

Thomas Tuchel says it is "good news" that Cesar Azpilicueta's contract extension has been triggered at Chelsea, and hopes the Blues captain will stay at least another year at Stamford Bridge.

The Spain defender's deal was due to come to a close at the end of the current campaign, but has automatically renewed for a further season after he hit a number of games this term.

It comes amid what is effectively a transfer embargo on the club due to outgoing owner Roman Abramovich's sanctions in relation to the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

With Azpilicueta able to walk as a free agent at the end of the campaign, Tuchel admitted he was happy to tie his captain down, though he could still leave if restrictions are lifted before next season.

"I knew it was going to happen because I knew the amount of games before it was going to happen," he stated. "It was so close.

"It’s a good thing, we were aware of it. It's good news for us. We have a contract, he's our captain, it's a very high possibility he will stay."

The same concerns linger for other out-of-contract players however, with defender Antonio Rudiger one of the biggest names linked with an exit.

Amid reports the Germany international's brother and agent met with Barcelona - who have also reportedly pursued Azpilicueta in recent weeks - Tuchel acknowledged he too would chase the former if he was available.

"I would try to meet him [Rudiger] if I were any other club," he added. "Still, he's our player and I still think we have a good chance he stays our player once things are solved for us.

"The situation is the situation at the moment. Our hands are tied, we cannot speak to him and offer him or negotiate or renegotiate with his agents.

"So it is fair enough if he listens to other offers. That is the way things go, but I'm still confident."