Andreas Christensen steps up
There has been a lot of criticism around Chelsea’s defence this season and the back four, in particular, have been heavily looked at.
But against Man City in the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge, that completely changed as they stood up massively to a usually potent front line.
There have been question marks about Andreas Christensen and whether he can be a strong enough player for the Blues moving forward.
However, the Dane might have put in his best performance with the Blues over the past few seasons against Pep Guardiola’s side.
The 24-year-old was strong and composed throughout the encounter and looked solid through the game with Antonio Rudiger.
It will be a massive boost for Frank Lampard to see his centre-back in that type of form going forward, as he will need a more solid back line.
A massive win in the top four race
While the focus all appeared to be on Liverpool last night, it cannot be understated just how big a win that was for Chelsea.
Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur are all chasing down the Blues, and they would have been looking at the game expecting a Man City win.
However, it would have completely burst their bubble to see Chelsea show the type of fight to get three points.
In the race for the top four, that would probably have been Chelsea’s biggest challenge and they now have a bunch of games which ‘should’ be winnable.
Going into the FA Cup game with Leicester City at the weekend, the Blues are five points clear with seven games to go.
They are also chasing down the Foxes and could even make third place and really cement their place in the Champions League spots.
It was a huge three points and would have given the Blues squad a huge boost of confidence going forward.
Christian Pulisic the clinical finisher
Something that Lampard has been missing over the course of the season has been his side’s clinical nature in front of goal.
However, just when he needed it, Christian Pulisic showed that he has a forward who has that clinical edge in the final third.
While it was a horrendous mistake by Benjamin Mendy, Pulisic’s pace and touch to get beyond the City man and then pass past Ederson was sublime.
If he stays fit, the 21-year-old could be one of the most key players that Lampard can rely on for the rest of the campaign.
His pace and ability is going to make him a massive threat to defenders across the Premier League and could be the perfect foil for the Blues going forward.
He looks hungry to play and as sharp as anyone in the side, something which is hugely encouraging to see.
Chelsea show another string to their bow
What we have seen a lot over the course of the campaign is that Chelsea have dominated possession but struggled at times to break teams down.
However, it was a completely different scenario at Stamford Bridge last night and it showed that the Blues had another string to their bow.
It was more about playing on the counter, soaking up the pressure and then being clinical when they had the chance.
In truth, the Blues could have had even more goals and potentially should have won the game by more.
But to have the ability to show the tactical nous and ability to see off a very good side is massively encouraging for what Lampard is trying to build.
Gilmour over Jorginho
It was interesting to see at the end of the game that instead of bringing on the experienced Jorginho, Lampard called upon youngster Billy Gilmour.
The 19-year-old has been one of the most promising players in the weeks before lockdown and will be a big player in the future.
The idea most likely came from the position in which Lampard wanted to switch things up in the middle of the park.
He clearly didn’t want to move N’Golo Kante from the deeper role, meaning he needed extra energy moving forward.
So Gilmour came on and the first thing he did was to play a lovely pass to Pedro to set up a break, where the Spaniard almost scored.
The future is certainly in Gilmour’s hands, and it appears Lampard is certainly prepared to trust him in tough situations.
