That was your 63rd game of the season, Thomas. How pleased are you to have ended it with a win?
"I thought we were going do it again: play again a draw at home. But then Reecey (Reece James) and Ross (Barkley) turned it around again in our favour. It's a mood changer I have to say and we're happy to end it with a win.
"The season was more or less finished for us. We gave some players the opportunity to play who didn't have so many minutes. So I'm happy they could show up and take a deserved win.
"It is in general a big step in the general direction in terms of consistency for us. If you look at the last year we have only been in the top three, this is very good. But there is always room for improvement. The level of consistency from City and Liverpool was too much for us, it was too high.
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"It will not get easier to close this gap, because while we are forced to be passive they are improving their squads. But this is the challenge, and we need to be fast and smart when it's possible to have a competitive team."
How difficult is it that some players may have played their final game for the club today but they simply don't know?
"It's a bit strange. We will have a dinner together later and you don't really know what's going to happen; if we are able to sell, do we want to sell, do we have a chance to get alternatives.
"So the situation is not only for us as those responsible for the rebuild and responsible for the transfers, but also for the players it's a strange situation. And you could feel it.
"Over a long, long period of time we managed to keep the focus and put it aside, but the longer it went after the international break, it had an impact on us, and still does. So let's see, when, finally, we will have the chance to act and make up, because the disadvantage in terms of timing for the rebuild is big. We have to be fast and smart."
And that need to act fast grows every day I assume?
"Yes, it grows every day. The two top teams [Man City and Liverpool] improve their teams and have teams that are very clear on which they build. It's a rebuild necessary for us and that makes it more challenging, of course."
How quickly can you get onto your transfer planning, will you go on holiday?
"No, it's impossible. Cannot go on holiday, no. There are too many things to clarify and give an opinion. Of course, nowadays, you can have meetings on Zoom so it's not necessary to do everything in person. The first days I will be here anyway and around because my children are in school, so it will start with a bit of a delay to the holidays.
"But even in holidays, it's also normal in a situation like ours, that you stay in contact and you have the possibility with Zoom and Facetime to have calls, share opinions and move forward because we need to."
What is the situation with Callum Hudson-Odoi and why wasn't Marcos Alonso in the squad?
"It's a muscle injury more or less [for Callum Hudson-Odoi] that affected the whole leg, both legs. There is a lack of force that he can simply bring and the tests showed he lacked mobility and the force to be on the pitch. That's why we miss him for so, so long.
"Marcos Alonso, he had a back problem in our first match against West Ham where he needed to go out and then he missed some matches and had more or less the same in the last games, but he played with this pain through the match against Leicester but he felt the muscle contraction goes through to the hamstrings and it's why it made no sense to take the risk on him."
Does losing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger open up the potential to move to a different system next season?
"I don't know if it would be a chance or another shift. I don't think it's a problem of structure that we have because we delivered in this structure at a very high level with our performances. But we are looking in every direction. I think the structure suits our players very well with the players you mentioned, but also with Thiago Silva, our midfielders, Reece James and Ben Chilwell because they have more freedom to attack on both sides.
"There were some reasons to play this structure in the way we played it and we were very successful and at a high level very stable. It's not the plan to change it but maybe we are forced to. It's no problem to adapt and find solutions, but the problem is we are forced to be passive and it's what we don't like and we are not used to it. So I can answer the question more precisely when things move forward and we can start to act."
That was the last game of the Roman Abramovich era – and Todd Boehly was here again today. When will that change sink in for the club, that Abramovich is no longer in charge?
"I think it will sink in over the next few days that it was like this. I struggle to adapt to the new situation. It is there and it is close, in theory, but it is not. I hope it will be and I think it will then feel more like a new era when things get started and the new season kicks in.
It was Mike Dean's final game as a referee, did you say anything to him?
"We did [make a presentation]. We had a talk an hour before the match with Roy Hodgson and him. It was on me to show my respect and appreciation. I told them I am honoured to be part of their last match. They are huge personalities and huge figures in the Premier League and international football. I have nothing but respect and this is what I told them. I am honoured to be part of it and wished them the best for their life after football."
How important is it going to be to get defenders in quickly?
"Of course, but maybe defenders will be on international duty if they have a certain quality or play for their national teams. And that means anyway they come one week later than the rest. That would mean in our case they come on July 9.
"This is the plan and hopefully we can do this and have everybody for the pre-season because it is a pre-season when you have at least three-and-half to four weeks together and not a lot of people are coming in with in different timings. It's more or less two groups.
"We have to be quick and fast to adapt the qualities, the personalities of these new guys. But first of all, we need to be able to sign and be smart about who we sign and be on point."
Do you have a clear idea on who you want and how difficult will the Premier League be next season?
"It will be a super tough race. Manchester United will be in the race and Tottenham will be in the race with Antonio Conte for sure. We want to stay in the race and Liverpool and Man City do everything to make their squads bigger and they set the standard so high. This is the challenge in which we compete.
"We have at the moment a huge disadvantage - that's not decisive yet. There is no need to make excuses now, it is just the situation we are in and we have to be as quick as possible. Right now, of course, it is unsatisfying because our hands are tied and we cannot act as we want.
"We have clear ideas for the profiles and characteristic of these players. It is not like you put a name on the list and then you get the player. You have to convince the player, you have to speak to other clubs and convince yourself this is the player, so there is normally a lot of work and it will be the same to be competitive next season, while, like everybody else, tries to close the gap to us, while the two top teams are what they are. A benchmark of consistency.
"This is the situation and from there we do our very best to be competitive because this is what we want to be."
