Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that his side have been too reliant on strong performances from their goalkeepers this season.

Having conceded just three goals in nine Premier League matches, Chelsea possess the best defensive record in the division.

The Blues have also prevailed in penalty shootouts on three occasions this season, overcoming Villarreal in the UEFA Super Cup before edging past Aston Villa and Southampton in the EFL Cup.

With Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga having both made a positive impact, Tuchel has talked up the importance of the pair during the opening period of the season.

Responding to a question regarding Chelsea's defensive record, Tuchel told reporters: "It is one key, but it is not enough to have one key. We have a lot of doors to open. Let's be honest, we are relying too much on the performances of our goalkeepers this season.

"But still, we have a certain stability and we want a certain stability to overcome difficult situations, which is a good thing.

"We believe we can overcome them, because we have overcame them, we have this experience together, we are a tough team to score against and this is proven. But we still need to keep working."

Chelsea will look to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League standings when they face Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon. body check tags ::