Frank Lampard’s sacking as Chelsea manager sent some supporters into mourning, yet it has taken only 10 games for Thomas Tuchel to make the decision to offload the club legend look inspired.

Lampard’s last 10 games in charge resulted in five defeats and four wins, two of which came against Morecambe and Luton Town in the FA Cup.

Chelsea’s expensively-assembled team had dropped to ninth in the Premier League standings and were apparently suffering an identity crisis that threatened to wreck the season.

Their transformation under Tuchel has been remarkable and Thursday’s 1-0 win at Liverpool was a tactical masterclass from the German who easily out-foxed his compatriot Juergen Klopp.

Chelsea are unbeaten in Tuchel’s 10 games in charge, winning seven, drawing three and keeping eight clean sheets. “I am very, very happy with the performance. It was clear we needed a complete performance in all aspects of the game,” he said. “We did this, we were very brave with the ball and never lost intensity with the ball.”

Tuchel has shown that he is not afraid to ruffle feathers.

Mason Mount, scorer of a wonderful goal on Thursday, was not in his first starting line-up, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham have been left in no doubt that instructions must be carried out to the tee.