MX23RW : Wednesday, May 29 00:04:47| >> :60:3567:3567:

Frank Lampard: 'Chelsea must bounce back at Wolves'

The Blues face Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard has challenged his Chelsea side to show Saturday's defeat by Everton was just a blip.

The 1-0 loss at Goodison Park ended a 17-match unbeaten run for the Blues that had pushed them firmly into the Premier League title picture.

Chelsea boss Lampard said: "I think the Premier League is unforgiving, you saw that with different results over the weekend. We see it pretty much every weekend or every matchday.

"We weren't at our top level on Saturday and we got beaten. That's it. We've been on a really long unbeaten run playing some really good football as well as winning games and we dropped our level for a game. It's absolutely on us to pick it up again straight away.

"We've been moving in the direction we want but this is the Premier League and you don't go to these clubs like Everton and expect anything."

Lampard will think the same about Tuesday's clash with Wolves at Molineux, and he sees consistency of performance as central to their ambitions.

"I kept saying when people were touting us as title contenders, after the Leeds game in particular, I've felt it's a long race to win a Premier League," said Lampard.

Chelsea's Olivier Giroud looks dejected after the final whistle on Saturday
Chelsea's Olivier Giroud looks dejected after the final whistle on Saturday (Peter Powell/PA)

"I did it as a player, I understand lots of elements of it, and there are lots of difficult moments, and one of those is losing a game and trying to bounce back very quickly. And to sustain performance and sustain results over a period of time, particularly in busy periods like Christmas. It's on us to try to do that."

Chelsea will have Christian Pulisic available again after a hamstring problem, with Lampard saying: "He's in the squad for tomorrow. It's yet to be decided whether he starts or not but it's obviously positive news from the weekend."

Fellow wingers Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi remain out as they continue to recover from their own hamstring injuries.

Lampard, meanwhile, expressed his disappointment at the likelihood of Chelsea having to return to playing matches behind closed doors.

Christian Pulisic will return to the Chelsea squad against Wolves
Christian Pulisic will return to the Chelsea squad against Wolves (Alastair Grant/PA)

With coronavirus cases rising in London, the capital is expected to be placed into tier three, meaning no supporters are allowed at sporting events.

Asked if he thought it would be difficult to go back to playing in an empty stadium, Lampard said: "I think it will be and I'm slightly disappointed. Even though we're in tier two and we've had fans in for a game already, I do feel it should have been a level playing field.

"We've seen already and felt the backing they give you and what it does to the game.

"I also think – I'm not telling the Government what to do – that we can control 2,000 fans coming into the stadium if they're coming from within that tier or however they want to do that to keep things moving along. It's unfortunate to say the least."

ID:426488: cacheID:426488:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7650:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leicester City's James Maddison celebrates scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on December 13, 2020
Read Next:
PL Team of the Week - Vardy, Maddison, Ward-Prowse
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City38287396346291
2Arsenal38285591296289
3Liverpool382410486414582
4Aston Villa382081076611568
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs382061274611366
6Chelsea381891177631463
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381861485622360
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd38186145758-160
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham381410146074-1452
10Crystal Palace381310155758-149
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton381212145562-748
12Bournemouth38139165467-1348
13Fulham38138175561-647
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves38137185065-1546
15Everton38139164051-1140
16Brentford38109195665-939
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3899204967-1832
RLuton TownLuton3868245285-3326
RBurnley3859244178-3724
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd38372835104-6916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!