LONDON • After their £200 million-plus (S$358.3 million) transfer outlay in the summer, the pressure is on Chelsea manager Frank Lampard to deliver the Premier League title.
But pundits like Chris Sutton do not believe the Blues have what it takes for a title tilt after a recent poor run of form that has seen them take just four points from their past five Premier League games.
Chelsea’s latest stumble came on Monday as they drew 1-1 with high-flying Aston Villa, who leapfrogged the hosts into fifth place on goal difference, at Stamford Bridge.
Timo Werner was dropped following a barren run in the league going back to Nov 7 for Olivier Giroud, who opened the scoring with his third goal in four league starts this season.
However, Villa drew level in the second half when Anwar El Ghazi side-footed home a volley for his fifth goal in as many top-flight games despite Chelsea protesting that Andreas Christensen had been fouled in the build-up by Jack Grealish.
Afterwards, Lampard blamed his team’s dip on the absence of Hakim Ziyech, who has been out since Dec 5.
On the winger, another blockbuster signing in the last window, he said: “The way he was playing, he was being very effective for us in terms of assists, goal creation, chance creation and some goals.
“We were very fluid at the time. You’re going to miss players at that level when they drop out and we want him back.
“This is our tough period at the moment. We have to fight for it and we’ll be stronger for it… The new players are going to get better as they come along.”
Ziyech is set to return for their next league game against Manchester City on Sunday unless it is postponed but Sutton is not convinced he is the antidote to their ills.
“They are flat and that’s why Frank needs to get a few wins under his belt and extremely quickly because it can, as we know, turn ugly at Chelsea,” the former Blues striker said.
“Whether we like it or not, this is a totally different season for Frank. The pressure is on – he has spent the big money. Now the pressure will build. Timo Werner has been a massive disappointment and Kai Havertz (one league goal in 14 league games) has been too.”
Chelsea defender Reece James has, however, launched an impassioned defence of Lampard, saying on Instagram: “‘I feel for Frank because a lot of people are putting him under pressure but what people aren’t remembering is that we are in a rebuild.
“The big names that have come in are just adapting to a new style of football, language, teammates and many other things going on in their new lives…
“For sure, I’m backing Frank all the way.”
REUTERS