Chelsea at Aston Villa: Three lessons learnt in uninspiring defeat

3. A matter of perspective

Tuchel’s recent run of results has not been the most favourable. The conclusion of the Premier League season and Chelsea’s final position in fourth would mean that the German has, at the end of the day, achieved the very objective that he was brought in for though.

Slowly but steadily climbing up the table since his initial appointment when the club was languishing in ninth place, Tuchel has repeatedly mentioned securing top four as his primary objective. Yes, it was a tightly contested affair continuing into the final match week of the season and yes, it took a great deal of help from arch-rivals Tottenham to finally clinch a Champions League place. But at a club like Chelsea where the end always justifies the means, neither the board nor Tuchel himself would be at all bothered by the manner in which top four was achieved.

Regardless of what happened in the FA Cup final and what happens in the Champions League final, Tuchel has to be proud of what he has been able to achieve in such a short span of time. The defence has improved markedly and more importantly, the squad clearly seems a much more unified body since the arrival of the German. The bottom line is that Tuchel has done more than enough to suggest the possibility of greater, sustainable successes in the future. Should the impending summer transfer window proceed according to plan, the Premier League could finally have itself a worthy, long-term competitor to Manchester City’s dominance in recent years.

What are some lessons you learnt in this one? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!