Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic says the players immediately felt a connection with manager Thomas Tuchel upon his arrival.

Kovacic feels it has already been a good season for the Blues, but he is hoping to make it even better by lifting silverware when we meet Manchester City in Saturday's Champions League final.

"He came in and from the first minute the players felt a great connection with him," said the midfielder. "From the first meeting and the first game it was like he'd been here for two years, so everything came quite naturally and we approached his way of playing well, we understood each other from the day he came.

"He did a good job and we had a great season in the end, because we came to the Champions League final, reached the FA Cup final, got top four. So it's a good season, but not perfect because we need to win a trophy."

Kovacic also highlighted our defence as an area Tuchel has improved during his time in west London, after the team kept 18 clean sheets in the 29 matches under the German so far, including conceding just two goals in our six Champions League knockout games going into Saturday's final.

He also told the club's website: "I think the team changed completely, how we approached the games. We were more confident, solid at the back and not conceding a lot of goals, not conceding many chances. We became quite solid and we were playing quite confidently.

"We changed to a back three and I think it suits us really well with the defenders we have. It was a big change, a good change, which improved from game to game, we are doing well in this system. So I think he changed a lot and this team can only become better in my opinion."