Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has agreed with Cesc Fabregas in questioning the Blues' tactics after their defeat against Arsenal on Tuesday night. The Blues were outclassed with Jamie Carragher describing the game like 'watching the Gunners in a training session' as they eased to a 3-1 victory.
Martin Odegaard scored twice in the opening 30 minutes before Gabriel Jesus added a third goal in the first-half as Chelsea risked being on the end of a drubbing at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta's side took their foot off the gas in the second-half and a momentary lapse of concentration from Oleksandr Zinchenko allowed Noni Madueke in to score his first goal for the Blues - but it was only a consolation on a poor night for Frank Lampard's side.
The caretaker manager shuffled his pack, bringing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang into the side in one of a number of changes. It didn't have the desired impact on the performance or result, though, as Aubameyang was hooked off at half-time after having just nine touches in 45 minutes - much to the delight of the Gunners' faithful.
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Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Fabregas laid out the clear differences between the two London rivals with some scathing comments which don't reflect well on Lampard. "I think we saw two different sides," the former Spain international told Sky Sports.
"One was really well-drilled, very well-coached with clear ideas, patterns of how they want to press - especially in Chelsea’s half - how they want to attack, how they’re going to find their movement. They were fluid and Chelsea allowed that.
"I felt sometimes Chelsea, we used to have a coach when we were little and it was like we have eleven olives, you throw them on the table and this is the tactics that sometimes we’re looking at. Sometimes I couldn’t believe it, the tactical and technical mistakes we’re seeing from Chelsea players."
Now ex-England international and former Blues star Sutton has come to a similar conclusion as the Spaniard. "Chelsea are collecting only ‘L’s — losses — under their caretaker manager, the latest coming in a pitiful 3-1 defeat at Arsenal," Sutton wrote for The Mail.
"It was enough to make you wonder what they do in training during the week. ‘Passive’ was the word Lampard used in his post-match interviews," the 50-year-old added.
"The players have to take responsibility for these pathetic performances, but so too does the manager for the identity crisis this has turned into. I liked Cesc Fabregas’s take on this car crash.
"What started as a supposed ‘free hit’ has turned into a reputation killer for Lampard and after this it is difficult to see how he gets another job in the Premier League," Sutton added. Lampard has just four games left to try and turn things around at Chelsea before a new permanent manager is set to come in ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Despite the struggles Lampard has faced during his tenure as caretaker boss, a number of issues run much deeper at the west London club which will need to be addressed ahead of the new season. If, as many expect, Mauricio Pochettino is appointed as Chelsea's next manager - he has a massive task on his hands to get the Blues challenging back at the top of the Premier League.
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