Thomas Tuchel has urged his Chelsea team to maintain the hunger for more Champions League success, before their opening group game against Zenit Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.
The German manager only took over from Frank Lampard in January but still managed to lead the team to European Cup glory, after beating Manchrester City in the final.
Tuchel had reached the final the year before with Paris Saint-Germain, losing to Bayern Munich, but said he underestimated the difference going one step further would have on his squad.
“I reached a final with my team the season before and I had the feeling that it was a big achievement but to not do the last step is a huge difference when you realise what it means when you do it,” Tuchel said at his pre-match press conference.
“The most important thing is not to look back but to keep the hunger because that feeling creates a hunger for more and more.
“It's addictive. This game is about winning because winning changes your feeling, it changes your work atmosphere in the building and gives you natural confidence.”
However, Tuchel warned his team not to take the success for granted, despite improving his squad over the summer with the £97.5 million ($134.7m) club record deal to bring striker Romelu Lukaku back to the Premier League.
“It's absolutely necessary to forget it and start from scratch, to show this mentality again. This is what I demand from myself and from everybody else around, that we don't change in terms of hunger,” he said.
“We will have this experience together forever and we can create a bond out of it but it's about looking ahead in sport and taking up the challenges which are coming and the next one is tomorrow.”
N'Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic will miss the Zenit clash at Stamford Bridge due to ankle injuries, but Ben Chilwell could feature for the first time since May.
Tuchel was hopeful Kante would be back in action from his ankle injury for the Group H clash against the Russians but now expects the 30-year-old to return for Sunday's Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
“N'Golo had two training sessions yesterday and trained again today, but the Champions League game comes a bit too early for him” Tuchel said.
Chelsea 3 Aston Villa 0: player ratings
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CHELSEA PLAYER RATINGS: Edouard Mendy – 8. Called into action plenty of times in the first half and duly delivered a variety of fine saves. Under less pressure in the second half but still alert when needed. EPA -
Trevoh Chalobah – 7. Continues to take his chances when given a place in the team. Slotted in well next to Silva and brought the ball confidently out from the back. No wonder goals this time but you can’t have it all. AFP -
Antonio Rudiger – 7. Brought a cheer from the terraces with a speculative effort from inside the halfway line. Unsurprisingly it ended up in the rafters. More importantly, did the role he’s paid for much better than his finishing. Solid display from the German. Getty -
Thiago Silva – 8. Chelsea need to thank the Brazilian FA for waiving the potential Fifa sanctions that could’ve seen Silva miss the game. Rock solid when Chelsea were under pressure and marshalled his back-line with typical command. Getty -
Callum Hudson-Odoi – 6. The more attacking of the wing-backs and got into plenty of good positions but couldn’t find that killer ball. Moved out to the left wing for the final 25 minutes but it wasn’t the perfect audition in his preferred role. Reuters -
Marcos Alonso – 6. Supported the occasional counter-attack but it was a more defensive performance by the Spaniard – which is not usually a good thing. Did OK but shaky at times, particularly from corners. AP -
Mateo Kovacic – 9. His role in the opening goal displayed everything great about the Croatian: wins ball back, fine footwork to create space, drives forward and plays a sumptuous ball for Lukaku. Then took the second with a smart finish. Classy performance from a classy player. AFP -
Saul Niguez – 4. Shaky debut from the Spaniard, exemplified by a loose five-yard pass that found a Villa player. Needs time to get up to speed. Replaced by Jorginho at the break. EPA -
Hakim Ziyech – 5. For the owner of one of the sweetest left foots in world football, Ziyech’s radar was way off. Couldn’t find much luck with his raking long balls and had a couple of tame efforts on goal. Dropped deep to get into the game. Getty -
Kai Havertz – 5. Quiet evening for the German. Tracked back and did his defensive duties well but posed little threat in attack. Getty -
Romelu Lukaku – 8. Trademark Lukaku for his opening goal, showing pace, power, trickery, and a strong finish. Found himself in a tough battle against the Villa backline but then popped up with a stunning strike in injury time. Two shots, two goals. Can £100m ever be classed as a bargain? Getty -
SUBS: Jorginho (On for Saul, 45’) – 7. Brought more control and calmness to Chelsea’s midfield following Saul’s erratic first half display. Reuters -
Cesar Azpilicueta (On for Havertz, 64’) – 7. Skinned Mings and laid on the pass for Lukaku’s second. Effective cameo from the captain. AFP -
Timo Werner (On for Hudson Odoi, 82’) – N/A. Getty -
ASTON VILLA PLAYER RATINGS: Jed Steer – 6. Little chance with any of the goals and wasn’t really called into action beyond those three strikes. AFP -
Matty Cash – 7. Handled his defensive duties well by containing Havertz and then Hudson-Odoi but didn’t offer much in attack. Reuters -
Ezri Konsa – 7. The pick of the Villa centre-backs with an assured display. Can’t be too far from an England call-up. Getty -
Axel Tuanzebe – 6. Got turned inside out by Lukaku for Chelsea’s first goal but was generally solid for the remainder of the match. Getty -
Tyrone Mings – 5. Similar story as Tuanzebe in that a largely solid performance was marred by a couple of poor moments: the sloppy back pass which led to Kovacic’s goal and getting skinned by Azpilicueta for Chelsea’s third. Getty -
Matt Targett – 6. Much like Cash on the right, did well defensively but didn’t offer much at the other end of the pitch. Getty -
Jacob Ramsey – 6. Lively during the first half but his influence faded as the match wore on and Chelsea asserted control. AFP -
Douglas Luiz – 5. A quiet game from the Brazilian, particularly once Chelsea took control in the second half. AP -
John McGinn – 8. Villa’s standout player by a distance. Central to his team’s large spells of dominance in the first half and continued to drive his team forward. Dominated Saul in the first half which led to the Spaniard's substitution. AP -
Danny Ings – 4. Largely anonymous performance from the England striker. Never threatened the Chelsea goal. AP -
Ollie Watkins – 6. Posed a real threat, particularly in the first half, but came up against an unbeatable Mendy. Getty -
SUBS: Leon Bailey (On for Ramsey, 56’) – 6. Showed flashes of his skill with a nutmeg on Alonso. Returning from a hamstring injury and Dean Smith needs him in his starting XI as soon as possible. Reuters -
Bretrand Traore (On for Ings, 69’) – 5. Made little impact against his former team. Marvelous Nakamba (On for Luiz, 80’) – N/A (pictured) Reuters
