Chelsea legend Ashley Cole has praised Frank Lampard for successfully addressing Chelsea's defensive issues.
The Blues had struggled at the back throughout last season and at the beginning of the this campaign, with Lampard's side conceding nine goals in their opening five matches.
Their unreliability in defence meant the West London club lost out on a number of points from matches they had expected to win, with two unwelcome 3-3 draws against West Bromwich Albion and Southampton the source of considerable disappointment.
However, Lampard has since introduced Edouard Mendy between the sticks which has helped the side massively.
The Senegal international is yet to concede a goal, helping Chelsea to register five consecutive clean sheets for the first time since 2010.
Cole identified this as a key reason behind the club's recent defensive improvements, as well as the impact of fellow new arrivals Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell.
"Last year, they dominated games and couldn’t finish them off," he told Sky Sports ahead of Chelsea's Premier League match against Southampton on Saturday.
"Then, they were hit on counter-attacks and conceding sloppy goals, Frank will be honest with that.
"They’ve addressed that this season with the goalkeeper and bringing the experience of Thiago Silva in there and also, adding the quality of Ben Chilwell. I feel now they’re solidifying that defence and now, they do look a threat in every game.
"Now, we see they’re not conceding goals which I think was the main problem for Frank, but he’s addressed it.”
Chelsea also added the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz to their ranks over the summer as they look to build on last season's fourth-placed finish.
