Premier League giants Chelsea didn’t have the greatest of starts to the new season, but have since seemingly turned a corner. The London club went into the current international break without facing defeat in any of their last eight fixtures, which also included four wins on the trot across all competitions recently. Presently sat at 5th on the league table with 15 points on the board from a possible 24, Lampard will be quietly confident that he can be involved in the title race at the end of the season. Their summer signings have now slowly started to gel together, and if they’re able to keep it up, the other clubs in the league should fear facing the Blues.
One of Chelsea’s biggest weak points for a long time now has been their defensive fragility, but that is something that Lampard has seemingly fixed over the last couple of weeks. With just one goal conceded in their last six matches across all competitions, the Blues’ back-line will be building its confidence as well as morale. While it could be argued that the addition of Thiago Silva into the back-line has made all the difference, the contributions of the likes of Kurt Zouma and Ben Chilwell must be taken into consideration as well.
Edouard Mendy’s arrival was also a massive blessing in disguise, as the centre-halves look a lot more confident with the dominant presence of the Senegalese international behind them. In attack as well, the likes of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have started to produce the goods, while the recent introduction of Hakim Ziyech has born fruit for the gaffer too. Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante have had important parts to play along the way, while the likes of Jorginho and Tammy Abraham haven’t been left out of the picture as well. With that said, let’s take a look at 3 things Lampard has to ensure once League football restarts.
3 Things Lampard Has To Ensure Once League Football Restarts:
Get Christian Pulisic Back To Fitness
Christian Pulisic has missed the last couple of the Blues’ fixtures due to injury, and is yet to really have too much of an impact from an attacking perspective. While the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have hit the ground running since coming into the team, the American has found the going quite tough. Currently out injured, Lampard will be hoping that the speedster is able to return to full fitness before the Premier League does, as he offers a dynamic option in the front-line. With various competitions to fight for as well, the depth will be crucial to Chelsea potentially meeting their targets for the season.
Bring Kai Havertz Back Into The Team
The German didn’t have the greatest of starts to life in England, but has clearly started to understand how things are done in the Premier League. His passing and movement are right up there with the best in the league, while his ability to turn away from challenges is what makes him stand out from the rest. Capable of making late runs into the box, just like Lampard used to do in his prime, ensuring that Havertz is brought back into the side will be crucial to the Blues’ agenda. When deployed in the number eight position, he was nothing short of sublime, and with the midfielder facing a spell out due to the Coronavirus, Lampard must ease him back in at the earliest chance.
Revert To The 4-1-2-3 Formation
With Chelsea’s defensive worries now seemingly out of the way, Lampard will have the option to switch into a more attack-minded setup. The 3-0 win against Burnley a couple of weeks ago showed Chelsea trying out a different kind of formation, where Mason Mount and Kai Havertz were deployed as double-eights, alongside N’Golo Kante playing as the lone anchor. Not only were they able to dominate offensively, but they also restricted the Clarets from finding a single shot on target. When the entire roster is back to full fitness, the 4-1-2-3 formation could be the way to go for the remainder of the season.
