02 May 2023 , 21:55
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Former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas laid bare the tactical differences between Arsenal and Chelsea as the Gunners cruised to a 3-1 Premier League victory.
Arsenal were all but out of sight by the break, with Martin Odegaard scoring twice and Gabriel Jesus adding a third, and Chelsea boss Lampard took off former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the restart. Noni Madueke pulled one back - just the second goal Chelsea have scored since Lampard's return - but it wasn't enough.
The former Blues midfielder took temporary charge in April after Graham Potter was dismissed just a few months into his tenure. However, defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday made it four defeats from four in the league, while Chelsea also lost both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, with Fabregas showing the gulf between Lampard and opposite number Mikel Arteta.
"I think we saw two different sides," Fabregas 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.
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"We are not used to it. Especially from individuals, in midfield, for example, you have a World Cup winner, World Cup winner, World Cup finalist. [In defence you have the] captain of Brazil, an international English player at left back - it’s such an experienced team. Sometimes it doesn’t prove anything to have that experience."
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Chelsea found themselves 3-0 down to Arsenal before half-time (Kin Cheung/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Defeat for Chelsea left them 12th in the league and on course for a bottom-half finish for the first time since 1996. Fulham, in 10th, are six points clear of the Blues with five games remaining.
Next up for Lampard's side is a game against Bournemouth, who can leapfrog them with three points at the Vitality Stadium. They still have to face three of the top four sides in the league, with trips to both Manchester clubs on the horizon after a meeting with Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle visiting Stamford Bridge on the final day of the season.
"Not good enough first half, that's what confirms the result," the 44-year-old told Match of the Day. "Much better second half, but not good enough first half.
"We were too nice to play against in all aspects in the first half. In the second half we played much more like a team that has a threat up top. In the first half we were too easy to play against. It's tough because you want to win games, but it's our job, we'll work on it."