Thomas Tuchel explains how Kai Havertz has ‘stepped up’ for Chelsea this season – and what he can do better

Thomas Tuchel has said that Kai Havertz has “stepped up” for Chelsea this season, though he still expects more from his compatriot in front of goal. Having scored the winner from the spot in the Club World Cup final against Palmeiras last weekend – another one for his highlights reel following his decisive goal in the Champions League final last May – Havertz has shown a knack for delivering for Chelsea in the biggest games. It was only his sixth goal in all competitions this season, however, making this the second season in which he has posted relatively modest numbers.

Ad/> Havertz scored 38 goals in all competitions across his last two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, so there has been a significant drop-off since he moved to the Premier League. He scored five goals in 13 appearances for Germany in 2021, suggesting he has little problem scoring regularly at international level. Club World Cup‘How many English players were playing?’ – Ferreira's dig at Chelsea after CWC defeat13/02/2022 AT 13:55 Asked to assess the 22-year-old’s progress this term ahead of Chelsea’s game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Tuchel said: “If we isolate the goalscoring, maybe we can say we expect more and he expects more for sure but, in consistency, in terms of what he’s giving to the team, he’s stepped up already and he is pretty consistent.

“We can see a lot of intensity and physicality in his game. He has already stepped up from the beginning of this season in training and when he plays. “He’s tougher to play, more physical and is more involved.