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Wolves frustrate new-look Chelsea in Tuchel's touchline debut

Sam Bagnall - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty

With a three-man defense and Mason Mount on the bench, it was clear that Thomas Tuchel tried to make his imprint on Chelsea after one training session with his new squad.

An impact, however, may have to wait.

Chelsea drew 0-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday in Tuchel's first match in the Blues' dugout. The hosts dominated possession and tried to pry Wolves' backline open with a series of passes and pullbacks, but their efforts earned just a single point.

The game's best chance actually fell to Pedro Neto. The Portuguese attacker almost converted a rare Wolves opportunity in the second half when his chip over Edouard Mendy bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Kai Havertz, who was otherwise quiet for his first full 90-minute shift in the league since mid-October, had a last-gasp header deflected over Rui Patricio's goal. The final whistle then sounded, denying Chelsea their 13th corner of the match.

"I was very happy with the intensity, the attitude, energy, and quality of my team," Tuchel told BBC's Match of the Day post-match. "We were well organized, had a lot of ball recoveries in the last third, never lacked intensity.

"We stepped up minute after minute in the second half. I was very happy performance-wise; unfortunately, we couldn't score."

Chelsea are back at Stamford Bridge on Sunday for a visit from Burnley. Wolves travel to Crystal Palace a day earlier.

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