Blues manager Frank Lampard has admitted that Chelsea will be “looking in the mirror” rather than worrying about how their potential Premier League title rivals flaring up against each other this weekend.
Chelsea currently sits in fourth place on the Premier League table, eight points behind pacesetters Liverpool but six clear of fifth-placed Arsenal as they look like sheer contenders for a Champions League spot.
Liverpool faces Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who are currently in second, on a crunch Sunday fixture, presenting the opportunity for Chelsea and Leicester City – who are level on points in third place to make up ground on the top two.
And with Leicester playing Arsenal, it means that four of the top five will face off as Chelsea host local London rivals Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
However, Lampard is determined his team will not be concerned about results elsewhere in the top flight and Chelsea will be keen to keep their focus on improving throughout the season after a relatively slow start.
While speaking to reporters ahead of the fixture on Saturday, the 41-year-old Englishman said that Chelsea is focused only on themselves, “We’re looking in the mirror at ourselves. Up and down are things you can’t always control – what will be will be with those teams. They have their problems or strong points or whatever. What we have to do is look at ourselves week in, week out, look at Crystal Palace tomorrow, go away for the internationals, and then we come back and we play Manchester City. Every week brings the challenge of a game.”
Following a rather slow start to the season, Lampard’s west London outfit has picked up the pace off late.
