"Nobody does it on purpose" - Ben Chilwell responds to Frank Lampard claiming standards dropped at Chelsea

Chelsea star Ben Chilwell has responded to Frank Lampard's comments regarding the club's standards last season.

Lampard took over as interim manager after Graham Potter's sacking during the final stretch of the 2022-23 campaign. The English manager's assessment after his brief stint was that a lot of work had to be done for the club to return to being a top-four side.

Lampard acknowledged that soon-to-be Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is a great manager. But he insisted that the Argentine would find it difficult to perform due to the club's underlying issues.

Chilwell has now offered his two cents on the matter, saying (via The Mirror):

“Unintentionally, nobody does it on purpose, but as someone who came in as Frank did at that time he could see it wasn’t where he would expect it to be for one reason or another."

He added:

"It is difficult to pinpoint why. I can see why he said that but it wasn’t intentional or something we wanted to happen but a lot of circumstances contributed to that last season.”

Lampard's assessment seems somewhat accurate as the Blues have struggled for consistency in their form this term. Chelsea's season so far has seen brief spells of excellence riddled with turbulent form as they sit 10th in the Premier League table.

The Blues have recorded 10 wins, five draws, and 10 losses so far in the English top flight. Pochettino's side have seen a recent upturn in form though. They secured victories over Aston Villa (FA Cup fourth round) and Crystal Palace before their hard-fought draw against Manchester City.

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"He’s a good player" - Pundit praises Chelsea star and compares him to Reece James

ESPN pundit Don Hutchinson has hailed Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto's ability on the ball going forward, comparing him to Reece James. Hutchinson lauded the 20-year-old for his performance in his side's 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad last week.

James has been sidelined for the majority of the 2023-24 season, struggling to remain fit with recurring hamstring issues. Gusto has deputized for the injured right-back this season, contributing six assists across competitions.

Hutchinson lauded the French defender for his offensive prowess and delivery against City, praising him for managing Jeremy Doku in defense. The pundit said (via The Chelsea Chronicle):

“I thought Gusto had a really good game. He’s a good player when he goes forward, Reece James-like. When he gets forward he’s got good delivery.

"That will give him a lot of confidence when you play him against [Jeremy] Doku because normally when you play against someone like that it’s very, very tricky. What you’re taught to do is show him inside into traffic, but he actually quite fancied himself in 1v1.”

Chelsea signed Gusto from Olympique Lyon in January 2023 and he joined the club last summer.