Frank Lampard and his team had been labouring under intense pressure at Stamford Bridge since the turn of the year. However, the 41-year-old with his never-say-die attitude has miraculously and most admirably claimed the scalps of two of the most highly-acclaimed managers in world football in his most recent outings with his Chelsea blues – Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Everton’s Carlo Ancelotti. These are in addition to his earlier accomplishment at the beginning of the month having taken the scalp of Tottenham’s Jose Mourinho.
Lampard’s achievements are highly laudable considering that his squad had been significantly reduced by injury and suspension, which makes the feat all the more impressive.
Despite the notable absence of both Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic, the breakthrough performances of 18-year-old Billy Gilmour and a resurgent Ross Barkley came to the rescue of Chelsea’s injury woes, and it was also most timely that Brazilian winger Willian’s swift recovery from an Achilles injury added to the team’s torment of Everton on Sunday.
The exuberance and energy in Chelsea’s last two performances have given great hope to the Blues ahead of their Premier League run-in as Lampard made opportune use of the selection crisis he was facing and squarely turned it around for the half dozen players who have been struggling to make Premier League appearances this season when they featured in the 4-0 pummeling of Everton on Sunday.
Three of these, Spaniards Pedro and Marcos Alonso and France striker Olivier Giroud, were veterans who had not even made the substitutes’ bench in recent times. Midfielder Ross Barkley and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who were warming benches on the sidelines after having problems keeping up with their big-money reputations after moving to Chelsea joined them in Sunday’s outing.
Chelsea’s fourth goal was fittingly scored by Giroud who was replacing injured first-choice striker Tammy Abraham, while regalvanised Barkley was highly instrumental in facilitating passes for two other timely strikes into goal.
Talented 18-year-old anchor Billy Gilmour was given another boost by Lampard when he was given his first Premier League start in the absence of experienced but injured midfielders N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic. Jorginho was also not in action due to his suspension.
The team were joined by two more teenagers – Faustino Anjorin and Armando Broja – in the second half for their league debuts right on the heels of other bright young prospects who have finally graced the first XI team this season.
Lampard was particularly gracious in paying tribute tribute to the returning former stalwarts whom he acknowledged had endured various frustrations earlier in the season. The Chelsea coach was generous in his praise for 33-year-old Giroud for not having taken his focus off the job even after the opportunity for a move away from Stamford Bridge had been blocked by Chelsea’s failure to sign another striker in the January window.
“I’ve got complete respect for him for that and now he’s playing really well on the pitch,” he said.
“That is what we need. That’s football, whether you’re four months from the end of your contract, no matter if you were out of the team for a month. You have to train every day, full pelt. You have to be a brilliant team mate and when you come in you have to try and contribute.”
Despite the resounding victory over Carlo Ancelloti’s Everton, Lampard was careful in adding that he was not getting whisked away by Chelsea’s spectacular return to form which included a huge and convincing 2-0 win recently over Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday which also featured many of the players involved in the Sunday trouncing of Everton. He took the opportunity to fire a warning to his players that the Chelsea team still harbour hopes in the battle for the fourth Champions League spot that they currently occupy.
However, down to earth and modest as usual, he moderated, “I don’t think we are there yet. To think that we are there and to think that we are over the issues that we have had here at home… would be over-confident.”