Chelsea: Lessons learnt as Blues edge out Crystal Palace

3. Frank Lampard keeps nailing his subs

Tuesday wasn’t the first time Lampard’s choice of substitutes has changed a match in Chelsea’s favor, but it was arguably the most dramatic. The matches against Leicester City and Aston Villa were almost exclusively won by the players who came on in place of struggling starters, but their impact was a slow burn leading up to the eventual victory. Against Crystal Palace, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham combined for what proved to be the winning goal in the 71′, having replaced Ross Barkley and Olivier Giroud just six minutes prior. Both starters looked a little short on energy in the second half; the improvement in energy was immediately noticeable. Being able to deploy that type of two-man attacking combo is a unique luxury Lampard is putting to good use.

Another player who deserves credit for his substitute role is Jorginho, who replaced an improved, but still nervy, Gilmour in the 80′. While the Italian is far less mobile and tenacious than the young Scotsman, his steady passing helped Chelsea to relieve the pressure Crystal Palace were applying in the closing minutes of the match. In a sense, he operated a bit like a closing pitcher in baseball—coming on late to try and quell any final acts of rebellion by the opposition. Palace still came perilously close to equalizing anyways, but a third goal would have been all but guaranteed without Jorginho’s calm presence easing Chelsea out of its own defensive third. To be abundantly clear, Jorginho is not a long-term solution for Lampard’s Chelsea; he’s a holdover from the previous regime, plain and simple. On Tuesday, however, his very specific skillset was the key to dragging Chelsea over the finish line with all three points in hand.

Lampard’s uncanny ability to make effective substitutions likely has roots in his playing days. Matches are won and lost based on how players adapt to ever-changing circumstances on the pitch. Lampard, as a central midfielder, needed to take note of what was happening in every phase of play, and adjusted his strategy accordingly. The same concepts apply as a manager.

The problems Chelsea had in the closing stages were down to the players who had been there from the first whistle. Perhaps Lampard needs to take a look at his initial team selection, so he isn’t as dependent on the performances of players off the bench. In the meantime though, I’ll be more than happy if his substitutes come on and win matches like they did on Tuesday.