TAMMY ACHE FOR TOON Abraham helps Blues surge ... but Lamps plays it cool
FRANK LAMPARD has Chelsea shaping up as genuine title contenders – not that he will admit it.
Swatting away Newcastle’s predictably tame challenge may not be the strongest evidence of their credentials.
But such was their dominance and class – especially in the first half – that they hardly broke sweat to rack up their fifth consecutive win and look solid all over the pitch.
This was their sixth clean sheet in seven games, just one goal conceded in more than 630 minutes of football.
The only blemish on this season has been the home defeat to Liverpool back in September.
And their next Premier League outing against Spurs next Sunday has the look of a shakedown to two contenders looking to mix it with Liverpool and Manchester City in an unpredictable season.
Meanwhi le, Steve Bruce’s Newcastle have become a Premier League irrelevance – bossed by bigger clubs and unable to put up a proper fight.
By 2.30pm, Chelsea sat top of the Premier League.
But Lampard, whose side are unbeaten in 12 games, is playing it cool.
He said: “It is pleasing, but I’m not going to get excited about being top of the table for five minutes.
“It’s time to stay humble and know it’s a long race. We had control and penetration. But that can become comfort. That can be human nature.
“We must not get complacent.
“Having control is OK, but we have to keep making the dangerous pass.
“The re are lessons to become better. We played well in patches.
“The result is key because the
Premier League is tough and relentless.
“We opened them up enough to get two or three by half-time. But we saw the game out.
“It is good form, the players are working hard and clean sheets are good.
“Timo [Werner] had a couple of chances that didn’t go in, but he was a real threat.”
The f i rst half was stunningly one- sided – Chelsea bossing the
game and
Newcastle hardly getting close to player or ball.
The home side made a total of 67 passes all half, while visiting defender Kurt Zouma made 65 himself.
Yet it was only a one- goal lead, Federico Fernandez bundling Mason Mount’s deep cross into his own net after 10 minutes.
By then, Karl Darlow had already made two good saves from Werner’s shot and Tammy Abraham’s header.
Werner was blocked from scoring by Jamal Lascelles, who injured himself and was subbed. Werner was also wasteful when clean through after the break, squaring weakly instead of shooting.
But the German star was lethal in setting up Chelsea’s second goal on 65 minutes.
He got the ball midway in his own half, and showed blistering pace to blow away Fernandez and Sean Longstaff, bursting towards the penalty area around a lame challenge from substitute Fabian Schar.
Werner squared perfectly for England striker Abraham, who slotted home off the post for his fifth of the season and third in as many club games.
The 23-year-old said: “Top? No pressure. That is where we want to be. Hopefully, we can keep getting three points.
“We didn’t let the international break distract us, we came out all guns blazing.
“Those games are tricky being
1-0 up and not getting the second goal. We kept confident.”
It was game over, bar Longstaff hitting the bar with a 25-yarder.
Newcastle have a great tactic of dragging decent opposition down to their level, causing mounting frustration, and that kept them in sight for an hour.
But the frustration of Toon fans is mounting, because they are being served up a team set up to have 10 men behind the ball against d e c ent sides. It makes for uncompetitive, tedious viewing, and gives fans little hope of a shock or excitement.
Bruce said: “We arguably didn’t do enough. We got off to an awful start.
“We were a little bit too deep and that’s sometimes the problem when you play with a back five. We defended t o o deep.”
I’m not going to get excited about being top of the table for five minutes. It’s time to stay humble and know it’s a long race
CHELSEA MENDY
Spent most of the game standing 35 yards out with nothing to do JAMES
Had little defending to do, so got involved on the ball up the right ZOUMA
Too big and strong for Joelinton and had such an easy afternoon RUDIGER
Brutal and dominant when called on to snuff out rare advances CHILWELL
Could have pushed more to overload the home side down left KOVACIC
Rhythmic passing and hardly gave away the ball all match KANTE
Terrier-like and full of tenacity, protects his defence for his life MOUNT
Started the build-ups, aided his back-line and set the tempo
Clever positioning and Toon midfield couldn’t get near him
ABRAHAM
Good physical presence and tucked away his chance well WERNER
Lethal cutting in from the left and a brilliant assist for Abraham
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