Thomas Tuchel boldly compares Kai Havertz to 3 legendary EPL strikers

• Thomas Tuchel was full of praise for Kai Havertz and his role as Chelsea’s make-shift number nine
• The Chelsea gaffer compared Havertz to three Premier League legends
• Havertz has scored 13 goals in all competitions so far this season

Thomas Tuchel has compared Kai Havertz to three Premier League legends in a delightful complement to the Chelsea forward.

According to Tuchel, Havertz’s unorthodox style of play reminds him of retired strikers Robin Van Persie, Denis Bergkamp and Dimitar Berbatov.

Against the odds, Havertz seems to have taken up the role of the first-choice striker at Stamford Bridge, despite the availability of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner.

Havertz has been in good form in recent weeks as well, scoring five goals in his last five Premier League games, taking his tally to 13 in all competitions this campaign.

Tuchel was recently interviewed by former Chelsea player-manager Glenn Hoddle and he could not help but gush over Havertz’s versatility upfront.

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Asked whether he sees Havertz as a number nine, Tuchel said:

“I’m still not sure.”

“I see a bit of Dennis Bergkamp, Robin Van Persie, [Dimitar] Berbatov kind of player.

“He can play in the half position because he has good runs, but also feels free from the nine and creates overload to one side.

“When I watched him at Leverkusen, I didn’t know that I would coach him, when I watched him at Paris [Saint-Germain], they made him play as a nine which was very interesting.

What next for Havertz?

Chelsea will not be in Premier League action, but Havertz will be hoping to make an impact for his side once again when they take on Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Sunday, April 17.

Despite not playing in the league this weekend, Chelsea will certainly still end the weekend in third place as they are five points clear of their nearest rivals Tottenham.

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Tottenham stumble in top for race after defeat to Brighton

Elsewhere, Sports Brief earlier reported of how Tottenham Hotspur suffered a blow in their top four ambitions after a 1-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, the Seagulls found the winner late on through Leandro Trossard who swerved into the Spurs area before producing a fine finish.

Defeat leaves Spurs fourth with 57 points.