ACADEMY KIDS TO THERESCUE
WHEN the time comes for Frank Lampard to leave Chelsea his legacy shouldn’t necessarily be judged on trophies. Results will inevitably determine whether he can emerge from the most challenging period of his reign with his job intact.
But the true fruits of his labours will provide the club with much more than silverware. When their manager was up against it, Chelsea’s academy fought for the boss they owe so much.
Lampard was somewhat forced to put faith in the youngsters by last season’s transfer ban. But make no mistake, they are now playing on merit and the manager can look back at that with some pride and accomplishment.
Here against Luton, Tammy Abraham struck a hat-trick, Mason Mount captained Chelsea for the first time, Billy Gilmour played with an eye- catching swagger, Reece James was assisting again and Calum Hudson-Odoi came off the bench to terrorise the Championship side into submission.
While club-record-signing Kepa Arrizabalaga was making another confidence-sapping mistake and Timo Werner was missing a penalty, Chelsea’s kids took it upon themselves to relieve the mounting pressure on Lampard.
Abraham’s first arrived in the 11th minute and owed plenty to Hakim Ziyech and Werner’s rapid thinking. Ziyech’s quick throw set Werner away down the right and caught Luton’s defence napping. The German’s cut-back, via a deflection off Tom Lockyer, found Abraham, whose finish was unerring past Simon Sluga.
Luton were not happy as there appeared to be two balls on the pitch as Ziyech released Werner.
The conditions would have encouraged the visitors. Snow, a slippery surface and a sodden pitch suggested this tie had FA Cup upset written all over it.
Abraham, though, appeared intent on quickly killing those hopes. His second arrived just six minutes later when he leaped above Lockyer to loop a header over Sluga from James’s cross.
Chelsea should have cruised home from there, but Kepa intervened in the 30th minute.
Their marking left much to be desired, as Jordan Clark was allowed the freedom of the penalty area to take aim following James Bree’s pass. The shot was tame, yet somehow Kepa allowed it to slip past his right hand.
Lampard threw his arms in the air and turned away in fury. Who could blame him? Once more the £72million signing from Athletic Bilbao had dropped an unforgivable clanger.
Credit to Luton, they were clinging on for dear life. And the longer Chelsea failed to score a third, the more their manager Nathan Jones and his irrepressible No 2 Mick Harford would have sensed an equaliser, if not more.
Kepa helped redeem his earlier calamity on the hour with an excellent save from Harry Cornick’s fierce shot following some haphazard defending from James. There was another instinctive stop from Lockyer as Chelsea struggled to deal with a Luton corner.
But finally Chelsea secured the victory their performance deserved in the 74th minute as Abraham completed his hat-trick, tapping home from a close range following beautiful interplay between Gilmour and Hudson-Odoi.
It was his 11th goal of the season — impressive for a player who hasn’t been an automatic choice following the arrival of Werner.
Credit to Abraham, the 23-yearold has quietly gone about enhancing his reputation when he hasn’t necessarily had the opportunities he would have expected.
Yet while Chelsea and Abraham were cruising, Werner’s woes continued as Sluga saved the 85thminute penalty he had won after being sent clear by Matteo Kovacic.
There appears no end to Werner’s problems. Lampard will hope, though, that this win is symbolic of something more.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Kepa 4; James 7, Zouma 6.5, Christensen 6.5, Emerson 6.5; Mount 7.5 (Kovacic 84min), Gilmour 8; Ziyech 7 (Havertz 77), Werner 6, Pulisic 6 (Hudson-Odoi 70, 7); ABRAHAM 8.5 (Giroud 77).
Subs not used: Rudiger, Jorginho, Caballero, Chilwell, Azpilicueta. Scorer: Abraham 11, 17, 74. Booked: Clark. Manager: Frank Lampard 7.5. LUTON (5-3-2): Sluga 7; Bree 7 (LuaLua 61), Lockyer 6, Rea 6 (Potts 46, 6), Bradley 6.5, Naismith 6.5 (Moncur 75); Clark 6.5, Tunnicliffe 6.5 (Berry 61), Dewsbury-Hall 6.5; Cornick 6.5 (Collins 61), Mpanzu 6.5.
Subs not used: Shea, Berry, Hylton, Lee, Moncur, Collins, LuaLua, Nombe. Scorer: Clark 30. Booked: Clark.
Manager: Nathan Jones 6.5. Referee: David Coote 5.5.