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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed how talks with his coaches and players helped arrest a downturn in form earlier this season.

The Blues had a magnificent start to the season, winning six of their opening seven matches in all competitions. They also won the UEFA Super Cup before the start of the campaign.

However, successive defeats in the Premier League and Champions League to Manchester City and Juventus, respectively, threw Chelsea off course.

Indeed, they failed to score in both games, while City outclassed Chelsea tactically.

Since then, though, Tuchel’s men have won nine of their past 10 games, again drawing only one and remaining unbeaten.

Asked what has changed since the defeats, Tuchel revealed a meeting at the club resolved the situation. The talks echo those Pep Guardiola revealed he had with his City side after a 1-1 draw with West Brom last season, which sparked a Premier League title charge.

Tuchel told Chelsea’s official website: “We had a little meeting, a very short one right after the match in the dressing room, and then on the way home.

“We changed a bit the approach towards the team with a bit in training and a bit in our style of playing.

“It’s not about being super-angry or blaming somebody, but it was the moment to turn every stone and this is what we did for the next days in the coaching office, to find the mix between being honest, being critical but also supportive, to show a way out of this in which we believe and that suits us.

“That obviously is with the help of the team. With the openness of the team and the mentality, we did it.

“We hate to lose but sometimes it happens and we clearly were not on our best level.

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“We lacked a certain sharpness, we looked not very confident on this particular day, we were not happy with the performance and the result and it was a moment to shake things up, but not in a crazy way.”

Tuchel also admitted that being “brutally honest” is a positive trait he and his Chelsea colleagues have, without affecting their working relationships.

Tuchel hails Chelsea relationships

“We’re all in one office, we also are like one team and we are brutally honest to each other,” he said.

“Sometimes I confront them with my doubts, somebody else has doubts, we all have different opinions, and then we start digging and start asking ourselves what here is on us, how did we not see it, could we have seen it, what could we have done better, what can we change. Everything is on the table.”

Chelsea’s form sees them sit top of the Premier League table after 13 games, ahead of their title rivals.

READ MORE: Chelsea, Man City rival Newcastle as one side prepare big offer for star

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