Defence has to be sorted
If there was any indication that Chelsea’s defence still needs a lot of work, then it was the 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal.
Clean sheets have been a rarity for Chelsea this season, as they can often be for clubs up and down the Premier League.
But the real worry is not really the clean sheets, more the defensive performances as a whole and the consistency of their inconsistency.
More often than not, the Blues have been poor when defending and it has been more rare that they have gone through games looking solid.
The pressing from the front has been decent for the majority of the campaign, but once teams beat that press then they are opened up.
The Blues have to find a solution if they are really going to get anyway.
Pulisic injury
It was obvious a huge blow for the Blues to lose Christian Pulisic so early in the second half when he had, once again, looked so bright.
The American had been excellent in the first half, with his goal taken beautifully with another accomplished finish.
Then it looked like he was about to give them the lead again before his hamstring injury struck.
The impact of his injury cannot be underestimated. When he came off, you could see the energy fade out of the Blues.
The spark of the front three seemed to vanish in an instant and the creativity just wasn’t there.
It seemed slightly odd that Pedro was the man to replace him, rather than Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The England international would have been desperate to make an impression, but Lampard went for experience.
It didn’t really pay off, but the injury to Pulisic had a huge impact on the match.
Season is still a success
While yesterday was a big disappointment in losing the game, the campaign can still be seen as a success.
Of course, the Blues deal in trophies and Lampard would have been desperate to deliver that title in his debut season.
But it didn’t happen and it wasn’t good enough on the day, that’s for sure.
However, getting that top four spot was crucial for their development and progression as a club with Lampard at the helm.
“I can’t criticise the players in their approach or desire to win the game,” Lampard said. “Obviously, well enough and we know that in our dressing room but we go into this game with Willian pulled out in the last 24 hours or so.
“Same with Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Two hamstrings, Pedro dislocated his shoulder maybe. It has been a busy period for us and the players have given a lot, they have given everything and 10 men in the last minutes was a very difficult challenge for them.
“We should not become too stuck on today, but of course, we are tonight. We have to look at the season as a whole and what we have managed to do to come where we came in the league. It is a huge plus for us, today would have been the icing on the cake but it wasn’t to be.”
The Bayern Munich dilemma
For Chelsea, the 2019/20 season is still not over.
The Blues now have to prepare for a Champions League last 16 second leg tie against Bayern Munich next weekend.
For Lampard, the game probably comes as a distraction with the Blues already 3-0 down going into the match.
While the Blues boss would like to just give his side some time off before getting ready for next season, preparations have to continue for next week.
The Blues will have to fly to Germany, and it would be a big surprise if the qualified for the next stage.
The dilemma is what kind of team Lampard will put out for the game, and whether or not he looks to completely rotate his players.
With the injuries the Blues have just picked up, it is the most likely scenario as Lampard will not want to risk too much.
