LONDON -- Chelsea managers often succumb to the club's internal politics, but after a challenging week on and off the pitch, it is difficult to imagine Thomas Tuchel emerging from the past week with more credit than this.
The only disappointing aspect of Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur is that their Carabao Cup semifinal tie is still alive going into next week's second leg, such was the profligacy in translating their superiority to the scoreline. There is an irony in Chelsea ending Romelu Lukaku's return to the fold ruing missed chances in the manner that prompted them to sign him in the first place, but this was nevertheless a tactical masterclass from Tuchel to follow the lesson in diplomacy he served up in the days prior.