According to Blues manager, Chelsea’s season has to “start now” following their wasted chances and enduring VAR frustration as they lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge against fierce rivals Manchester United.
The West London side now faces local London neighbor Tottenham next and have managed only one win their last six Premier League games after Monday’s defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, putting some serious doubts over whether they will finish inside the top 4.
If Manchester City’s ban from the Champions League is upheld it will mean that a fifth-place finish at the end of the season could be enough for a Premier League side to qualify for Europe’s top-tier competition for next campaign.
However, there are only seven points that separate Chelsea and Arsenal who currently sit in 10th on the Premier League table in what has become a congested race for trying to play European football.
Chelsea boss Lampard felt aggrieved that VAR was not on Chelsea’s side against the Red Devils, as Harry Maguire escaped a possible red card for a clash with Michy Batshuayi and the Blues seeing two disallowed goals in the second period, but he again pointed to his side’s profligacy in front of goal as a major factor in their defeat.
Without his usual center forward Tammy Abraham, a frustrated Lampard spoke to Sky Sports and said, “It’s tough to take on lots of levels, some footballing, some others, it’s frustrating, but that’s life. I’m not upset with the work ethic or input. Their heads are down in there and I have to correct that. It’s not a 2-0 game but the reality of football is that it is a 2-0 game because of moments. We have a feeling of Groundhog Day, whatever you want to call it. There are football things, which get clearer every week.
Lampard further added that there is still work to do for the players and the grind until the end of the season will begin now, “There’s always work to do every day. At the minute, we’re fourth and the season starts here. There are things I can criticize; I’m not soft. If we’re not going to have the productivity to finish, it’s very difficult to win games.”
