For the first time since March, fans were allowed to return to a Premier League Stadium.
The Chelsea v/s Brighton Pre-Season friendly saw 2500 fans all suitably spaced out in the stands. The worldwide infection caused by the Coronavirus forced the clubs to play in closed doors.
The stadium was filled with only Brighton fans, maintaining social distancing from each other as a prevention from the virus.
The Blues were held up in a 1-1 draw which saw Timo Werner scored the only goal for Chelsea.
The first half of the match witnessed a great possession play from Lampard’s side. The boys found the net in just four minutes of the match from a long ball of Hakim Ziyech.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Toni Rudiger came in the second half of the game. Lampard replaced Kepa with Willy Caballero in goal.
The substituted Chelsea keeper denied Neal Maupay’s penalty to keep Chelsea’s lead. The decision came when the referee saw a Brighton player fouled by Rudiger during a corner.
The Blues were penalized for a late attempt which certainly displeased Azpilicueta. The penalty prevented Chelsea from winning the match and ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Chelsea manager wasn’t seen concerned about his team’s second-half display.
He was quite happy with the ball possession shown in the first half of the match. Brighton’s impressive attacking instincts in the second half created many problems in Chelsea’s backline.
Although the match exposed the rustiness of the Blues, Lampard is expecting his side to improve more.
