Chelsea emerged from one of their most difficult and troubled spells under Frank Lampard with a renewed sense of purpose, passion and unity. It’s about time.
Embodied by the renewed goalkeeping magnificence of Kepa Arrizabalaga and the almost impeccable Billy Gilmour, it appears the fire of Frank Lampard’s youth revolution – so dangerously close to going out – has been renewed as a huge blaze. Chelsea burned Liverpool in the FA Cup and Everton in the league with two of the most complete and near perfect performances all year.
For the first time since he arrived from Athletic Bilbao, Kepa Arrizabalaga has decided the Chelsea box belongs to him. His month out, the realization that at Chelsea Football Club excellence is not simply the expectation but the bar, and some back-to-basics hard-core coaching have changed the Spaniard.
He always had the reflexes of a puma and some of the best save instincts in the world. He let himself and the club down with an apparent lack of acknowledgment that his defenders needed him to steer them in the right direction. He and they relied on a higher power, as Arrizabalaga was unwilling to take charge of the players who would help him the most.
His positioning and judgement needed to be better, and he needed to have a sense of entitlement towards any ball in the air in his box. A goalkeeper should take crosses and aerial threats as a personal affront: collect them, show dominance of the area and move along.
Arrizabalaga appears to have learned that.
The other real story, obviously, has been Billy Gilmour. Not only does he appear smooth on the ball in every respect, he has the mentality to actually be a complete midfielder.
For too long, and certainly under Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea players seemed inclined to shelter themselves in singular roles and incomplete play. It was the midfield version of the inane principal of “ball-playing defenders.” There are only complete midfielders and complete defenders.
Why a player could be considered a good footballer despite the lack of the ability to tackle, run or pass, truly no one knows.
Billy Gilmour is one of the most complete players to have come in and out of the academy in a long time. He is a pleasure and joy to watch.
The rest of the team, especially the old heads, appear to have turned a corner and shaken off the cobwebs as well. The fact that Frank Lampard has acknowledged some of his early season mistakes and allowed players to earn their way into the team more now is paying off.
Olivier Giroud was always too good of a player to be playing as little as he was. He’s a fine player and even a better professional. He should be extended and allowed to mentor Tammy Abraham until he says his days are done.
Pedro seems rejuvenated and it’s a pleasure to have him around. A consummate professional and footballing mind. If he’s willing to stay and accept an ever-lessening amount of playing time, but be respected and valued for his intelligence and experience, he is worth having around the youth.
This is the sort of thing that’s understood in Serie A, by the way.
The defence have in recent matches sorted themselves out, and that is in no short shrift partially down to the play of Kepa Arrizabalaga. That said, they’re still the group most worth keeping an eye on. They’ve obviously been told to get a bit more traditional (thank every type of God for that). When they’re in a bit of bother they do the reasonable thing and hoof the ball out rather than the incessant insipid t**ttery of playing it out from the back, regardless of what common sense would dictate.
This has culminated Chelsea suddenly look like a fine football side again. Suddenly Leicester seem within reach.
Frank Lampard’s persistent hard work and dedication are paying off. He’s getting good, stately performances from the experienced players in the squad and vibrant technical ones from the youth. It is combining for some magnificent football, the sort this Chelsea Football Club is supposed to play.
The Blues have always been able to attack. You don’t have a history of players like Peter Osgood, Pat Nevin, Arjen Robben, Frank Lampard, Kerry Dixon, Gianfranco Zola and Didier Drogba if that’s not true.
But that ability was always coupled with a resolute spine and spirit. That, sadly, left the squad in recent years.
Frank Lampard’s biggest victory of his time at Chelsea so far, and mind you he just beat Everton 4-0 and Liverpool 2-0, has been the rejuvenation of that soul and spirit.