Thomas Tuchel explains Chelsea team selection to face West Ham

Thomas Tuchel has delivered his reasoning for his team selection to face West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

It’s a London derby with more than bragging rights riding on the clash. The sides sit on the same points with just goal difference separating the sides. The winner will go three points clear in fourth with five games to play as the hunt for Champions League qualification heats up. 

And Tuchel has made six changes to his side that drew to Brighton on Tuesday, including Edouard Mendy returning to the team.

Chelsea XI to face West Ham: Mendy, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell, Mount, Werner, Pulisic

Bench: Kepa, Alonso, James, Zouma, Gilmour, Havertz, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Abraham

On the team selection, Tuchel said: “We opted for some height in the back because we know about the strength of West Ham at set-pieces,” explained Tuchel.

“We have Toni, Thiago and Andreas as a back three, which is a bit taller than if Azpi plays there. We gain some centimetres in defending some set-pieces.


“It seems like a lot of changes from last game, but if you see the games before, it’s a group that is used to playing together.

“We have a strong XI on the pitch. We have a good record in away matches, we have been very solid in crucial games, so full trust to the players and we know we have to deliver a top performance.”

On Abraham returning to bench, Tuchel said: “It’s a change because Tammy had some tough decisions against him, so now it’s Oli. We have Kai on the bench who can play as a number nine as a tall striker.

“In the last games it was Oli on the bench for Tammy, and now it is Tammy who has fought his way back after two excellent training sessions.”

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