Lampard happy with three goals, three points, three Chelsea Academy stars

After back-to-back losses at home in the Premier League, without scoring a single goal, Chelsea got back on track at the Bridge with a fairly straightforward 3-0 win over Burnley, which was especially comfortable in the second half. (Leading 3-0 tends to make that easy of course.)

For Frank Lampard, and most everyone else presumably, it was precisely what the doctor ordered.

“Just what was needed with performance and result. We could have scored more, but I can’t complain today. We can see today that today was different. The running off the ball, it was a big win for us. We had a good week of training.”

Partially due to injuries to Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kanté, and perhaps inspired by Chelsea’s failures in recent home games against tight defenses, Lampard selected a very optimistic lineup, loading his midfield with attackers and essentially relying on Jorginho to fill any gaps that may be created behind the likes of Ross Barkley and Mason Mount. And it worked, with Chelsea showing weakness only on set pieces, while creating more than enough chances at the other end.

“It didn’t feel like a risk but felt right in the game. We haven’t scored enough. I felt we wanted to get more on pitch, Barkley in there helped. You have to fight against Burnley. Matched them in the fight.”

Goals from Jorginho, Abraham, and Hudson-Odoi gave Stamford Bridge plenty to celebrate, with Lampard particularly pleased for the latter, who became Chelsea’s youngest Premier League goalscorer since Carlton Cole in 2002.

“For him to score in the six-yard box is more exciting to me than 30 yards. That was the real Hudson-Odoi. It was brilliant for him and we know the player he can be.”

With praise also thrown Reece James and Tammy Abraham’s way — with the latter also getting admonished for missing other easy chances that should’ve given him a hat-trick — Lampard’s now hoping this game can finally prove the turning point that the wins against Spurs and Arsenal had not. (Mason Mount was excellent, too, but he did not get specifically mentioned or asked about in the press conference.)

“It is one performance at home, the message has to be continuous. We have to match that regularly. I am not getting carried away. I felt for the fans in home games recently, today we changed all that.”

-Frank Lampard; source: Football.London

Onwards!