Tuchel unhappy with Lukaku against City: He lost the ball many times

The display of

Romelu Lukaku

for Chelsea against Manchester City in Saturday's

loss at the Etihad Stadium left

Thomas Tuchel

disappointed. 

Pep Guardiola's side won 1-0 thanks to

Kevin De Bruyne

's second winner, giving them a 13-point advantage over their closest opponents, the Blues, at the top of the table. 

Unlike his countryman, Lukaku was regularly unable to exert as much influence in a mostly subdued performance from the visitors - and Tuchel said after the game that he was dissatisfied with his efforts.

"We had eight or nine offensive transitions, but had zero touches in the box," the 48-year-old Chelsea coach stated in his post-match comments. "That was a big problem today, the performance of our front players. A lack of position, timing and composure. We lost too many balls too easily.

"Romelu Lukaku sometimes needs to [deliver] the service. He is included in this, he had many ball losses in very promising circumstances. He had a huge chance.

"Of course we want to serve him, but he is part of the team, and the performance up front, we can do much better. "

Tuchel spoke on his team's overall performance, noting that they didn't have a shot on goal in the first half and that he thought they deserved at least a point while acknowledging that City may now be too far away to catch. 

"I thought we deserved a draw, we defended very well," he added. "We did not allow big chances. We were not under so much pressure. A draw would be a fair result but we don't have it."

"We will never give up, but if City keep winning every game, nobody can catch them."

Chelsea's chances of toppling the Cityzens appear to be dwindling, with Guardiola seeking vengeance for his side's humiliation in the

final last season. 

The Blues, on the other hand, are still in a position to defend their European title and have a chance to complete a double after reaching the Carabao Cup final earlier this month against Tottenham.

On the other hand, Man City will be hoping to go one step further in Europe this season after a solid run through the group stages against stiff competition.

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