Lille 1-2 Chelsea: Willian’s bolt from the blue secures vital away win for Lampard’s side
After their disappointing opening round defeat at home by Valencia it was all about winning tonight, and win Chelsea did.
Frank Lampard’s Blues are clearly a work in progress, especially when faced with challenging, unfamiliar sides in the Champions League.
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But while there were chinks in the armour, and there were moments of panic, there were also plenty of encouraging signs – and, crucially, a victory over Lille.
They weren’t perfect, but having been criticised previously for his tactical acumen, Lampard’s 3-4-2-1 formation did the trick in France as his inexperienced team passed the test, albeit not with flying colours.
Deadly Abraham
Chelsea’s transfer ban and Lampard’s philosophy has benefited many at Chelsea, but none more so than Tammy Abraham.
The striker marked his 22nd birthday with the kind of finish which, just two months into the season, is already becoming his trademark.
Fikayo Tomori fizzed an inventive yet difficult pass into the rangy forward and, like a seasoned professional, he killed it dead, corrected his body shape and found the top corner. It was his eighth goal of the season and what will surely be the first of many in the Champions League.
Keeping Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi out of the side was by no means a given at the start of the season but already Abraham looks at home at the tip of Chelsea’s attack.
Zonal woes
The 2019-20 season has been one of massive contrasts for Chelsea – encouraging spells and promising performances mixed with naivety and defensive lapses – and Abraham’s opener was soon followed by a disappointing equaliser.
Zonal marking is a persistent bugbear of many pundits and fans, and when teams defend corners like Chelsea did tonight it’s easy to see why.
With Chelsea’s players positioned on the six-yard line, Victor Osimhen was allowed a running jump at an inswinging delivery, rising above Kurt Zouma and Tomori to place his downward header past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Lampard reacted by putting blockers on Lille’s attackers in the second half, but more work on the training ground or a change of system wouldn’t go amiss.
Bolt from the blue
Chelsea’s season, particularly in attack, has been defined by their youngsters, but the goal-getting responsibility needs to be shared.
In that context, Willian’s contributions in the last week will have pleased Lampard, with the experienced winger adding to his goal in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton with the winner in northern France on his 300th club appearance.
Lampard and Chelsea fans won’t care if the Brazilian meant to smash his volley from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross into the ground on the way into the net.
The game was drifting towards a draw which, with Ajax beating Valencia in the other Group H tie, wouldn’t have helped the Blues’ case much. Willian’s strike was a welcome bolt from the blue.
Shaky Kepa
This being Chelsea there were still some wobbles in the closing stages, with Kepa keeping the away fans on the edge of their seats.
Indecisiveness is not a quality you’d choose from your defenders and goalkeeper when holding onto a lead and, although he recovered well and it didn’t cost them, it was not a pretty sight.
First Kepa had to fly out and react quickly at the feet of Osimhen following a Tomori mistake. Then, even more heart-stoppingly, the Spanish goalkeeper smothered another opening for the Nigerian striker after he sliced a clearance from a hospital pass from his centre-back.
In the end it was immaterial, but how the Blues would like to develop their composure of old.
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