'Only player who reached his level'-Thomas Tuchel praises Chelsea star's performance in 'lucky' win against Watford

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was disappointed with his side's performance in the Blues' 2-1 victory over Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday night. The former Borussia Dortmund coach did, however, praise Kai Havertz for his performance against Claudio Ranieri's side.

Chelsea were expected to dominate Watford on Wednesday night. The Blues were unable to hit their stride against the Hornets. The Blues managed to register just four shots on goal during the course of the game, while Watford accumulated six shots on target.

Chelsea took the lead midway through the first half thanks to a goal from Mason Mount. Emmanuel Dennis continued his impressive form for Watford as he scored the equalizer two minutes before half-time. Hakim Ziyech scored the game-winning goal for Chelsea in the 72nd minute.

Tuchel believes his side 'were absolutely not ready for the match' but praised Havertz for his impressive performance on the night.

'Havertz was very strong. I felt he was the one player reaching his level today. We missed some players. We had some players overloaded. We stole three points. We don't have to talk around it. For the first time it feels like a lucky win," said Tuchel in a post-match press conference.

Kai Havertz was heavily criticized for his inconsistent performances for Chelsea during the opening stages of the season. The former Bayer Leverkusen star has managed to score just four goals in 16 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.

Havertz has, however, shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and has adapted to the physical nature of the Premier League.

Chelsea's ability to grind out victories makes them favorites to win the Premier League title

Watford v Chelsea - Premier League

Thomas Tuchel made six changes to the Chelsea side that played out a 1-1 draw with Manchester United last weekend. The Blues have maintained their one-point lead at the top of the Premier League table thanks to their victory over Watford.

Despite Thomas Tuchel resting a number of his regular starters, including the likes of Jorginho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner against Watford, Chelsea were able to claim a hard-fought victory over Claudio Ranieri's side.

Chelsea failed to create goal-scoring opportunities and were often on the backfoot against Watford. But they managed to come away with all three points thanks to the strength, depth and quality they possess within their squad.

The ability to grind out victories even when they aren't performing at the highest level makes Chelsea a strong contender for the Premier League.

They will face a tricky test away at West Ham United on Saturday. The Blues will look to bounce back from their disappointing performance against Watford by claiming victory over the Hammers.