Chelsea up to third after win over Sheffield Utd
Frank Lampard believes Chelsea are beginning to bear the fruits from a summer of heavy investment in the transfer market after a 4-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday moved them up to third in the Premier League.
Despite a £220 million transfer splurge, the Blues did not hit the ground running as they won just two of their opening six league games of the season.
However, they have now won four in a row in all competitions with three of the new signings, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Timo Werner on the scoresheet on Saturday, while another Hakim Ziyech won man-of–the-match for two assists.
“The players we brought in, we brought in to improve,” said Lampard, who guided Chelsea to fourth in his first season in charge. People expect it to come on day one. It’s not like that, it’s a work in progress. You saw a lot of it today, there are great signs but we have to keep going.”
Sheffield United remain rooted to the foot of the table without a win this season and just like in defeat at Liverpool two weeks ago, they failed to build on a dream start from David McGoldrick’s opener.
A cleverly-worked corner caught Chelsea off guard as George Baldock’s cross was turned goalward by Sander Berge and McGoldrick flicked the ball past Edouard Mendy. That at was t the e first st goa goal Mendy e dy had conceded in the Premier League and ended
Chelsea’s run of five straight clean sheets as Lampard has focused on ending the dreadful defensive record that blighted his first season in charge.
“When you keep clean sheets like we have, we knew one was coming. When you concede one, the reaction is important and the reaction was brilliant,” added Lampard. “At the start of the season, we had new players, the lack of pre-season, injuries, but now we are seeing some of the work. I’m the first to keep my feet on the ground. Every game is challenging.” Ziyech’s dangerous deliveries Tammy Abraham had initially been one of the casualties of the backing Lampard was given in the transfer market, but has won his place in the side in recent weeks with Werner moving out to the left.
The England international turned home Mateo Kovacic’s cutback for his fourth goal of the season to restore parity on 23 minutes and Chelsea never looked back. Werner smashed against the crossbar after Aaron Ramsdale could only parry a dangerous Ziyech free-kick.
However, Chris Wilder’s men did not learn their lesson as from another Ziyech set-piece, Chilwell bundled the ball in off his hip. Ramsdale turned another Chilwell effort behind before halftime, but it seemed only a matter of time until Chelsea killed the game off as they dominated the second-half.
The hosts had to wait until 13 minutesfro minutes from time for the third with Ziyech’s wi wicked free-kick delivery again creati creating havoc. This time the Moroccan picked p out Silva to flick home his fi first Chelsea goal.
Werner was then put through on goal from fr Ziyech’s defencesplitting splitting pa pass, but the German hit the woodw woodwork for the second time when his lo lob over Ramsdale came back off the th post. Moments later, Werner was wa not to be denied an eighth goal go since his move from RB Leipzig Leipz when he hammered the ball past Ramsdale.