Three weeks ago, everything was still going well at Chelsea. The Blues had just chained a 10th unbeaten match in the league with a victory against Leeds (3-1) and seemed firmly installed on the podium of the Premier League. The defeat of the formation of Frank Lampard against Liverpool (0-2) at the start of the championship remained its only setback after 11 days. His defensive solidity and his offensive potential were praised across the Kingdom. So much so that the London club seemed able to join in the title race.
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Three weeks later, the situation is no longer the same. Missing his subject in his great widths against Arsenal (3-1), Chelsea conceded to the Emirates their third defeat in the last four days. The Blues were demoted to 7th place in the Premier League standings ahead of three particularly tricky games to negotiate in the league against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Leicester. The formation of Frank Lampard has virtues to be rediscovered to approach a period which promises to be decisive for its ambitions for the rest of the season.
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The defense gave in
It was the real strength that emerged at the start of the Blues season: an iron defense illustrated by the multiple “clean-sheets” of Edouard Mendy, the goalkeeper who arrived from Rennes in the offseason. In two months, between October 3 and December 5, Chelsea had conceded just five goals in eight matches. In the space of three weeks, Frank Lampard’s side have conceded six in just four matches. Including three on Arsenal, yet in a crisis of confidence after seven games without a win, including five defeats.
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The Blues coach did not point to individual deficiencies. Rather the general state of mind of a team that has not displayed the aggressiveness and concentration required for a Premier League match. It was already latent during Chelsea’s last outings. At the Emirates, it got screaming. “It’s not a question of tactics or system, said Lampard. If we play at 60 or 70%, we cannot win a Premier League match. You can’t lack energy and desire in this championship.“Defending collectively is a quality that Chelsea have forgotten in recent weeks. And that Londoners must imperatively recover to bounce back.
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An orphan attack by Ziyech
The offensive sector does not give him satisfaction either. Especially after the massive investments made during the last transfer window to strengthen it with the arrivals of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner for a total amount of around 175 million euros. Werner embodies the current difficulties of the Blues in attack. Silent for 10 matches, his worst period of scarcity in club since 2016, the former striker of RB Leipzig struggles to confirm his encouraging start to the season. “He didn’t give us enough, with or without the ball,” Lampard said of his striker’s performance against Arsenal.
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If the Blues lack efficiency in front of goal, like Werner, they seem especially much less sharp since the injury of Hakim Ziyech against Leeds (3-1). It is no coincidence that the bad series crossed by Chelsea coincides with the period of unavailability of its Moroccan strategist. By his creativity and his accuracy of play, he took a monumental influence in the offensive animation of the Blues. Without him, the London attack falters. And Lampard struggles to find the right formula to mitigate the consequences of his absence.
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A necessary evil ?
It’s hard to judge Chelsea’s season. With the Blues, it’s all or nothing. There was that nine-game unbeaten streak in the league that propelled Frank Lampard’s roster among the title contenders. And the current downward spiral where Londoners are more likely to perform as a mid-table team. Chelsea’s actual level is probably somewhere in between. The potential is there, it is obvious, but the bad series crossed by the Blues at least made it possible to evaluate their limits.
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Lampard is not really surprised. In the good period of Chelsea, his coach always wanted to calm the ambient euphoria. “Teams that keep winning streak didn’t win three years ago, he stressed after the defeat against Arsenal. We are not there yet, that is clear. I felt it during our long period of invincibility as I feel it now.“The Blues coach has always been aware of the room for improvement of a team full of talent, but still in the works. From that point of view, the current bad patch is probably necessary to move forward.
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