The German coach believes the Blues have what it takes to beat Manchester City at Wembley and is aiming to battle it out with Pep Guardiola’s men in the Premier League next season.
Manchester City together with Liverpool have been two of the best teams in England in recent years, having shared the last three Premier League titles among themselves.
Tuchel has recognized the Citizens’ superiority over Chelsea in recent years but will be seeking to bridge that gap starting from the FA Cup semi-final.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach said in his press conference: “We have to accept there is a gap between us and Manchester City.
“If you look at the fixture in the Premier League and the fixtures in the last years we have to accept this. And it’s important that we accept this without making ourselves too small. From day one of next season, we will hunt them. We will try to close the gap between us.
“We have to admit there is a gap but for 90 minutes we are very self-aware and very self-confident that we believe we can close the gap tomorrow for one game.
Tuchel also hailed Guardiola and insists he was impressed with the work he did during his time as Barcelona head coach.
He added: “When he was coach at Barcelona I didn’t have the chance to know him personally, but I was watching almost every game. I was very impressed by the way they made success happen, by the style they were playing, all the academy guys, the offensive ball possession.”
