Frank Lampard Reacts to Chelsea's First European Clean Sheet for a Year
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was most pleased with an overdue European clean sheet as his team drew 0-0 with Sevilla in their 2020/21 Champions League opener on Tuesday night, with the Blues’ failure to score trumped by their success in keeping the ball out of their own net.
Having conceded more than any other club in the top half of the Premier League last season, Chelsea’s defensive weaknesses have been much talked about. This was only their third clean sheet of the season across eight games in all competitions and fist in Europe for a whole year.
Chelsea have invested at the back and new signings goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, centre-back Thiago Silva and left-back Ben Chilwell all contributed to keep Sevilla out at Stamford Bridge. Mendy in particular made a fine save to highlight why he has been brought in ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
“Sevilla are a top team in European football, of that there is no doubt, and the concentration and the focus you need in the Champions League to get a clean sheet was big from the team,” Lampard sais afterwards, via ChelseaFC.com.
“The decisions we made when we defended well, the decisions we made when we played longer as opposed to keeping possession, there were a lot of good ones,” he added, with the result coming just days after Chelsea were the architects of their own downfall in a 3-3 draw with Southampton.
“Thiago Silva was very good. He brought both quality and experience as we hoped and he affects others around him. He was a big plus and a part in keeping the clean sheet,” the boss continued.
“In the three games Edouard Mendy has played since he has been here, he has played very well. He made a good save and that is two clean sheets. When he came in, I said he will be great for competition, we knew his qualities and he has shown them, so at the moment he is first choice but that is always up for grabs and that is why you have competition.”
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