Timo Werner Real Madrid heartbreak sends Chelsea message to Christian Pulisic after Tuchel call

Pride is the only word I can think of after that, pure pride. I am cast back to the miserable moments in December 2012 when Chelsea bowed out of the Champions League group stage in what was a pitiful defence of the crown they'd worked so hard to attain. A decade later, the Blues are out again, but supporters can feel pride leaving the Bernabeu this time.

Pride in the performance, pride in the dedication and the focus under Thomas Tuchel – whose light seems to burn even brighter by the week. Amid all the chaos of the past six weeks, Tuchel asked for a response from his players last Wednesday, and he's emphatically got one.

Plus, some individuals deserve their day in the sun after a season of frustration, whilst others take a step backwards. Let's take a look at The Good, Bad and Ugly from a heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid.

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There are many we could pick out here. Heroes across the field for Chelsea, but I'm going to give it to Timo Werner simply for the criticism he has received (rightly, in my opinion) and how he responded when the chips were down to save Chelsea, and more symbolically, his career here.

It was easy to dismiss Saturday's double at Southampton as a consequence of an opponent playing into the forward's hands, but here Tuchel entrusted Werner again, and he almost delivered a priceless winning goal.

He timed his run to perfection, kept his cool in a crowded area, and found the finish. These last four days have been the anthesis to Werner's story in 2021/22. A player devoid of confidence and looking like someone untrustworthy in the biggest moments. It probably spoke volumes that the game changed for the worse