Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel says that he is "proud" of his players after they suffered yet another penalty shootout defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup final.
Two-and-a-half months after losing in the same fashion, Chelsea went down 6-5 to their Premier League rivals after another goalless draw after 120 minutes.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Mason Mount missed from 12 yards, the shootout only being extended when goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved from Liverpool forward Sadio Mane.
Despite more disappointment in a Wembley final, Tuchel spoke highly of his players, talking up the achievement of shutting out their opponents for 240 minutes in a high-stakes environment.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Tuchel said: "Like in the last final, the Carabao Cup, no regrets. I told the team I was proud.
We played 240 minutes of final team against maybe the most dangerous attacking team in the world and it's 0-0. We lose on penalties and we are disappointed and sad, but at the same time proud because we showed everything that we need. I was sure during the match the momentum was on our side but unfortunately I was not right.
"We proved four times this season that we can produce peak performances to compete with them at this kind of level. All the results were deserved and could've gone our way or their way."
Chelsea will now turn to their Premier League double-header with Leicester City and Watford, the Blues requiring one point to secure Champions League football for next season. body check tags ::
