It's not the time for celebrations: Chelsea manager Tuchel

London [UK], May 19 (ANI): Chelsea beating Leicester City in the Premier League on Tuesday night has seen them strengthen their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League. While manager Thomas Tuchel is pleased, he doesn't wish to celebrate as yet.

"It's a big step, but it's only a step. It's not done yet, we have to push it over the line on Sunday. It was a huge team effort, full of intensity, hunger and ambition. We played with a lot of quality for what was in my opinion a very deserved win.

"But it's not the time for celebrations, it's not the time for praise, it's not the time for thinking it's more than three points. It's actually only three points and there's another three to get on Sunday and we have to be prepared and aware to finish the job," he told chelseafc.com.

With fans coming in to boost the morale of the players, the manager thanked them for their support and said things look and feel a lot different when the fans are behind the players.

"This is a completely different match, football with and without spectators. You simply can't compare. It was amazing and exactly what we want, everybody who comes to the stadium to be happy and feel this energy from this team because this is what this team can always deliver.

"I strongly believe that as a supporter of any club you come to the stadium for energy. You don't come only for fancy moves and goals and outstanding individual performances. You come for the energy and it needs to be easy to support us. You need to bring the spectators to their feet and excite them. This team is doing that.

"They have the hunger, the ambition. Sometimes we struggle with decisions, sometimes we don't reward ourselves, but this team is always on the edge in terms of work rate and what they give. This is very important and I think it makes the supporters happy, and for that they push us and it was a huge boost," he said.

The manager is also hopeful that N'Golo Kante hasn't hurt his hamstring too bad. "I hope that N'Golo is not injured. He told me he went off before an injury. He felt his hamstring and he was worried that he would get injured if he continued playing, so we put Kova in, which was also a huge risk, because he was only on the bench for 20 minutes when we had planned for 60 minutes before bringing him on.

"So we took some risks, but it was the moment to take risks. It was a game of the highest importance at the end of the season and I'm happy that it worked out. Hopefully N'Golo will come back. We are a different team with and without N'Golo, but we compensated very well today," he said. (ANI)