Chelsea need to learn lessons after defeat at Arsenal - Lampard

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, RECENT FOOTAGE OF CHELSEA TRAINING

SHOWS:

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"It set us back three points in the short term and the first half was certainly our worst performance of the season as far as I saw it because it lacked the energy and I think at West Bromwich Albion (Chelsea were losing 3-0 and fought back to a 3-3 draw) I think there were clear errors in and a culmination of things that went against us in the game a little bit and the lads turned it around to give them credit. Today the way we approached the first half on the pitch wasn't right. So, it's certainly is something, I mean we've seen it a lot this season, we've seen some crazy results, so a lot of teams had some ups and downs and at the minute we're in a position where with out of the last four games we've lost three of them and won one so that needs a reaction."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"Yes, there will be some changes and I knew that anyway. I'm certainly not going to bang the drum about the quick turnaround after our performance today; it's not the important point - that's playing two games in two days we have to make changes anyway. Some of them will now happen as well because of how the game went and people will have to come in and inject the energy and the personality that is in our normal performances. Normally the reason we went so many games unbeaten was because of that. So, we've come off that and we must come back on it quickly. I think some of it is maybe where we're at as a squad; people wanted to talk us up as title contenders. I never accepted as the case because we're not there. That takes time to build and days like today are ones that we certainly have to learn a very big lesson from; everybody, myself included because when I see that in the first half, I don't like it. I don't like it so it can't happen."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"Yes, I think I think we certainly do. The players, I learn about the players, the players have to learn about themselves. Some of them are young, some of them are new to the Premier League and these tough times are the things that we will have to go through. I don't think this season was ever going to be plain sailing and winning every week. We got confident and we got into position where we were not losing games and winning a lot of games. Things are pretty easy at that point, when you lose a couple of games they become much tougher and the only way out of it is to fight and to work hard. So, that's what I will be instilling in the players that idea because it's the only way that you get out what is a difficult little period for us but at the same time when we look ourselves in a table we're still close to the top end of the table when I thought there's a big uplift of improvement coming because of the young, the youth in our team and the freshness in terms of players that have come in. So, I expect that we have to work for it."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"Well I think they're a good team with very good individual players. I thought they obviously added to their squad in a very good way in the off-season. A good manager, good coaches, good players that are playing well. They're in a really good time at the moment. So, I'm not completely surprised by it but it's obviously going to be a tough match."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"Yes, I'm sure John (Terry) has an influence because of the one of the, in my opinion, the greatest centre backs that have played in the Premier League and for England and in the world for long period of time with an absolute wealth of knowledge of the game. So, his input will be invaluable to Dean Smith and all the staff. And obviously the team are working hard and you've seen a real big uplift in them and I'm sure there's a lot of work behind the scenes for John and all the staff there."

STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 2, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

10. CHELSEA PLAYERS WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING SESSION

11. CHELSEA MIDFIELDER, JORGINHO WALKING OUT ON TO TRAINING PITCH

12. CHELSEA STRIKER, OLIVIER GIROUD (RIGHT) AND CHELSEA MIDFIELDER, N'GOLO KANTE (LEFT) WALKING OUT ON TO TRAINING PITCH

13. PLAYERS JOGGING WITH CESAR AZPILICUETA, GIROUD AND DEFENDER, THIAGO SILVA AT THE FRONT / ASSISTANT COACH SPEAKING WITH THIAGO SILVA

14. DEFENDER KURT ZOUMA AMONG PLAYERS DOING WARM UP

15. AZPILICUETA AND THIAGO SILVA AT FRONT OF GROUP OF PLAYERS DOING WARM UP DRILL

16. TRAINING IN PROGRESS

17. PLAYERS DOING POSSESSION TRAINING DRILL KNOWN AS RONDO

18. CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD (THIRD FROM LEFT) WATCHING ON / PLAYERS STRAINING

19. DEFENDERS, MARCO ALONSO, THIAGO SILVA AND ZOUMA TRAINING

STORY: Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is expecting his players to bounce back after they slipped to seventh in the Premier League standings following their 3-1 defeat to London rivals Arsenal.

The defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (December 26) was their third in the last four games after suffering setbacks against Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Lampard said his players produced their worst performance of the season in the first half against Arsenal, where they conceded goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Granit Xhaka before Bukayo Saka added another in the second half to wrap up the game.

"I think there were clear errors in and a culmination of things that went against us in the game... the way we approached the first half on the pitch wasn't right," Lampard said before his side's home game with Aston Villa on Monday (December 28).

"We've seen it a lot this season, we've seen some crazy results, a lot of teams had some ups and downs and at the minute we're in a position where with out of the last four games we've lost three of them and won one so that needs a reaction."

Lampard expects a tough test against Villa, who moved up to sixth with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace despite playing half the match with 10 men.

With Villa keeping a league-high eight clean sheets so far this season, Lampard was quick to point at the influence of former England and Chelsea team mate John Terry, who now works as an assistant to Villa boss Dean Smith.

"I'm sure John has an influence because of the one of the, in my opinion, the greatest centre backs that have played in the Premier League and for England and in the world for a long period of time with an absolute wealth of knowledge of the game.

"His input will be invaluable to Dean Smith and all the staff. Obviously, the team are working hard and you've seen a real big uplift in them."

(Production: Tim Hart)