Thomas Tuchel dismisses criticism of Kai Havertz's body language

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has warned fans not to expect a ruthless streak from Kai Havertz, backing his calm approach play.

Havertz scored his second Premier League goal after an almost six-month wait playing as a false nine in the Blues' 4-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday, impressing fans with his relaxed yet creative style.

Speaking post-match (as quoted by the Independent), Tuchel addressed the misconceptions about the 21-year-old's body language, saying: "He is simply not that guy that you will fully feel or see enraged. For some, you feel they have to fight with others to get a certain momentum.

"He is not a Diego Costa kind of guy, this is simple and I will never demand he will become this," he added, weighing in on Havertz's apparent lack of aggression.

"Sometimes you cannot confuse with his body language that he does not give everything. He is a very quiet character but he is very well aware of his quality. I can just repeat he stepped up."

Tuchel went further, noting that Havertz had stepped out of his comfort zone in moving from Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea, and expressed his delight at him showing his quality.

Havertz signed for Chelsea last summer in a £71m deal, but injuries and a nasty bout of COVID-19 have made for an inconsistent maiden season with the Blues.

Former manager Frank Lampard used Havertz in a number of positions in order to try and find a successful formula for the 21-year-old, but to no avail. Tuchel has since used Havertz as a centre-forward and found a breakthrough in the role, with him enjoying a creative game at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Havertz opened the scoring after just eight minutes before also grabbing an assist, in a game where he had plenty of the ball and could've come away with a handful of goals.