Pressure on Lampard: Manchester City inflicts Chelsea’s fourth loss in six matches

Even dealing with a Manchester City aspect depleted by the coronavirus, Frank Lampard couldn’t stop Chelsea slumping to a fourth loss in its previous six video games.
And Lampard is conscious the 3-1 defeat will solely enhance the stress on him.
Chelsea slipped to eighth place after lkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne scored in a 16-minute first-half spell at a cold Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The London membership is seven factors behind chief Liverpool and three factors again of City, which has performed two fewer video games and now sits in fifth place.
Even Leicester is mounting a title problem in third place after beating Newcastle 2-1 in Sunday’s different recreation.
How fickle soccer will be. Only a month in the past, Chelsea’s all-time main scorer was basking in a 17-match unbeaten that raised speak of a brand new contract midway via his second season as supervisor.
“Whether it puts pressure on me or not, it doesn’t matter,” Lampard stated. “A month in the past everybody was asking me whether or not I used to be going to signal a brand new contract, and now they are going to be saying various things.
“But over a busy period we’ve lost four games of football, so the pressure remains constant and you know it’s there.”
Especially when working for Russian billionaire proprietor Roman Abramovich, who has gone via a dozen managers since remodeling the membership together with his 2003 takeover.
After being unable to spend something in his first season in cost as a consequence of a switch embargo, Lampard benefited from round $250 million in squad reinforcements in the summertime switch window. Despite Timo Werner already having fun with Champions League expertise at Leipzig, the $60 million striker is among the many gamers Lampard claims nonetheless wants time to settle.
“Any build or rebuild takes pain; pain behind the scenes and pain on the pitch occasionally,” Lampard stated. “This is a troublesome interval and I perceive the the explanation why. Today the primary half confirmed me the the explanation why and now we have to maintain preventing and I’m the primary one who has to maintain preventing.
“I’ll always feel heat: I felt heat when we were on our good run, because I know that round the corner can be a negative.”
Gundogan netted the opener on the flip within the 18th minute after being arrange by Foden, who was on the right track with a flick end for the second inside three minutes. De Bruyne began the transfer inside his personal half that ended with him scoring, assembly the rebound after Raheem Sterling had hit the aim body. Chelsea’s comfort got here with virtually the final kick of the sport from Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Guardiola rebukes Mendy however claims many break virus guidelines
Three days after Manchester City’s coronavirus outbreak pressured the postponement of a match, defender Benjamin Mendy held a New Year’s Eve celebration in breach of England’s pandemic restrictions.
While Pep Guardiola accepted that Mendy was incorrect to host the gathering at his home, the City supervisor nonetheless defended his participant’s actions on Sunday.
“He broke the rules,” Guardiola. “Of course it was not correct what he has done, but don’t judge him much because if you look … New Year’s Eve many, many people have maybe done the same.”
Mendy’s rule-breaking came about after City’s recreation at Everton on Monday was known as off. Six gamers are isolating with the coronavirus, with defender Eric Garcia’s optimistic take a look at introduced Sunday.
Despite the chance of being contaminated on the gathering, Mendy was an unused substitute for Sunday’s recreation at Chelsea the place City was one participant brief on the bench.
“Benjamin had already COVID so he had it in the past,” Guardiola stated. “He has been tested every day like all the guys … and is negative.”

Contracting the coronavirus is just not thought-about to offer any certainty towards future infections.
The Premier League has not condemned any gamers from City, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace who’ve been seen over the Christmas interval showing to flout COVID-19 restrictions which were tightened in response to a brand new variant, which scientists have stated is as much as 70% extra contagious.
Mendy allowed a chef and two associates of his companion to come back to his house, a consultant for the participant was cited as telling “The Sun“ newspaper. People from totally different households are banned from mixing indoors within the northern English space the place Mendy lives.
“The club is aware of a New Year’s Eve COVID-19 breach involving Benjamin Mendy and the subsequent media reporting of it,” City stated.
“While it is understood that elements of this incident have been misinterpreted in the reports, and that the player has publicly apologised for his error, the club is disappointed to learn of the transgression and will be conducting an internal investigation.”
The Frenchman has expressed remorse.
“Ben accepts that this is a breach of COVID-19 protocols and is sorry for his actions in this matter,“ his representative said in a statement to “The Sun” newspaper. “Ben has had a COVID test and is liaising with Manchester City about this.”
Mendy has tweeted urging individuals “to take care of you and yours” as midnight approached on Thursday night time.
Britain is within the midst of an acute outbreak, recording greater than 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day over the previous six days.
On Saturday, a social media picture was revealed of Tottenham trio Erik Lamela, Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso attending a home celebration in London over Christmas interval.
The gamers are dealing with disciplinary motion at Tottenham as Manuel Lanzini is at West Ham after additionally attending the celebration.
Fulham, whose match at Burnley on Sunday was postponed as a consequence of rising infections on the London membership, is investigating photos exhibiting Aleksandar Mitrovic and his fellow Serb Luka Milivojevic of Crystal Palace, together with their two households on New Year’s Eve.
FOXES FLYING
A fifth successive Premier League victory has propelled Leicester to inside some extent of chief Liverpool. James Maddison and Youri Tielemans clinched the win for the Foxes at St. James’ Park earlier than Andy Carroll scored late for Newcastle.
“My ambition is to get into Europe again and for us to progress,” Leicester supervisor Brendan Rodgers stated. “It’s all the time going to be a course of for us. We don’t have the funds to go and get that 70 million pound, 80 million pound, 90 million pound participant.
“So for us, we have to develop that player, bring in a young player or a senior player like a Jonny Evans, who is a top player, and manage his career through so he can help our younger players.”