Willian and Ross Barkley scored for the Blues at the Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to knock Liverpool out of this season’s FA Cup.
After defeating Liverpool in the 5th Round match of FA Cup, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has given a light into the insight of his team’s mentality and said they are not the same side they used to be but the young Blues are trying to reach the level.
“We are not Chelsea of eras gone by, with Hazards and Costas and Terrys and Drogbas. We are in a different place. We have got young players, we have some older players, but we are trying to bridge a gap upwards,” Lampard was quoted as saying on the official website of Chelsea.
Eden Hazard’s departure at the beginning of the season and the transfer ban – which was later removed – had forced Lampard to build a team depending on the academy graduates.
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Though the youngsters have not disappointed the ex-Chelsea midfielder and kept the team among the top four in Premier League, consistency has been a major lacking factor in their performance.
Speaking about that Lampard said, “It’s important to know unless we work hard every day in training, unless we behave well when we go home and think about how we can be better as a group, we can’t make that jump.”
On the performance against Liverpool, the 41-year-old was all praises for his players and pointed out the defensive brilliance which helped them earn a clean sheet, something Chelsea has not seen much this season.
“It was an impressive performance. It’s hard to be comprehensive against Liverpool because they remain in the game because of the team they are, but I can’t ask any for any more: the spirit, the work ethic, the quality,” the former England international said.
“You have to defend really well to keep a clean sheet against them, and we did. We defended with everything, played well, and deserved to win the game,” Lampard added.
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