Chelsea beat Burnley 2-0 for first win under Tuchel

LONDON (Reuters) – Chelsea notched up their first win under Thomas Tuchel on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Burnley thanks to goals by Spanish defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso who have both been given a chance to shine under the German coach.

Azpilicueta was entrusted with a place in Chelsea’s starting line up by Tuchel in his two games since replacing Frank Lampard and he scored with an angled shot in the 40th minute after sprinting 80 yards to seize on a lay-off by Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Alonso, playing for the first time since September, secured the win in the 84th minute when he controlled a pass from Christian Pulisic with his chest and knee before swivelling to blast a shot past Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Hudson-Odoi, also making the most of much more playing time under Tuchel, and fellow Chelsea academy product Mason Mount were at the heart the Blues’ best moves.

Their form contrasts with the struggles of the club’s two expensive German signings in 2020, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz who pose Tuchel’s most immediate challenge.