Against Liverpool at Anfield last night, Timo Werner was denied his 11th Chelsea goal by mere centimetres when VAR ruled he had been offside when he broke Liverpool’s backline to touch the ball past their goalkeeper Alisson, and then guide it into the Kop End net.That would have given the Blues the lead but it was still a happy ending as a Mason Mount goal was enough for a 1-0 win, and Werner played his part throughout with his pace and movement giving the Reds defence headaches.

However the disallowed goal and some other chances not taken, when the German fired at Alisson or narrowly wide, means he has one Premier League goal in four months. Despite those figures and the frustration of coming so close to a goal yesterday evening, Thomas Tuchel does not feel the need to give Werner any special support.‘I demand 100 per cent in every training and I don’t allow self-pity,’ he explains.‘There is no need for self-pity. He is a privileged guy and full of talent and he plays football in one of the best clubs in the world, in the best league in the world. So no need for self-pity and to worry too much.‘The only responsibility we have together is to bring the best in him out and the only way I know is on the training pitch and in the games. Put in the effort, put yourself in the state of mind that you are ready to play for us at the highest level, and he is doing this, and then you will be rewarded. I am very sure.‘I am absolutely happy with his performance against Liverpool. It was another step forward.’

Tuchel insists that although goal totals and minutes without scoring are the sort of figures that occupy the thoughts of strikers, for him as head coach, those are secondary statistics.

‘My approach to him [Werner] is that this is not a subject,’ Tuchel adds.

‘We push him and we do this with a smile and we try to give him confidence. From then on it his job to be a big part of this group, which he is at the moment.’