Chelsea stars search for 'the last 10 per cent' during training - in pictures

Coach Thomas Tuchel believes expectation is weighing down his team

Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount during the Chelsea training session in Cobham, England. All photos by Getty Images

Edouard Mendy of Chelsea in action during Chelsea training.

Ross Barkley of Chelsea in action during Chelsea training.

Antonio Rudiger on the ball.

COBHAM, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea in action during the Chelsea Training session at Chelsea Training Ground on October 01, 2021 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea and Jorginho in training.

Kai Havertz of Chelsea in training mode.

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel thinks the weight of expectation is affecting his players after successive defeats.

The Blues have been acclaimed by some pundits as favourites for the Premier League title but the Champions League loss to Juventus in midweek followed Saturday's domestic defeat by Manchester City.

Tuchel watched Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and the other Chelsea stars tune up in training for a return to action against Southampton on Saturday and said: "It feels a little bit like we are carrying a mental weight on our shoulders from expectations.

"Someone told me several years ago that if players look like this then you can threaten them or calm them down... 99% of the time you can calm them down.

Tuchel says his team is missing "a little step from 90% to 100%" and need to "question ourselves deeply".

"We always demand the very best from us. Nobody likes to lose, we hate to lose.

"We need to respect the quality of our opponents. Also, we were not really bad. We have played good matches. We are looking for the last 10%."

Pictures of the Blues stars in training can be seen in the gallery above, To see the next image, just swipe.