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Shaun Botterill / AP
Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan, second from right, celebrates after scoring the first goal.
Even facing a Manchester City side exhausted from the coronavirus, Frank Lampard was unable to prevent Chelsea from falling to a fourth loss in their last six games.
And Lampard is aware that the 3-1 loss will only increase the pressure on him.
Chelsea fell to eighth place after lkay Gündoğan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne all scored on a 16-minute first-half streak at an icy Stamford Bridge on Monday (NZT).
SPARK SPORT
Manchester City scored three times in the first half to beat Chelsea 3-1.
The London club are seven points behind leaders Liverpool and three points behind City, who have played two fewer games and are now in fifth place.
Even Leicester faces a title challenge in third place after beating Newcastle 2-1 in the other game on Monday.
How fickle soccer can be. Just a month ago, Chelsea’s all-time top scorer was enjoying a 17-game unbeaten run that saw the talk of a new contract midway through his second season as manager.
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“Whether he presses me or not doesn’t matter,” Lampard said. “A month ago everyone asked me if I was going to sign a new contract, and now they are going to say different things.
“But during a busy period we have lost four football games, so the pressure remains constant and you know it’s there.”
Especially when he works for Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, who has gone through a dozen managers since he transformed the club with its 2003 acquisition.
After being unable to spend anything in his first season in charge due to a transfer embargo, Lampard benefited from around $ 380 million in squad reinforcements in the summer transfer window. Despite Timo Werner already enjoying the Champions League experience in Leipzig, the $ 91 million forward is among the players Lampard says still needs time to settle down.
Shaun Botterill / AP
Chelsea’s Mason Mount, left, and Manchester City’s Rodrigo challenge for the ball.
“Any construction or reconstruction requires pain; pain backstage and pain on the court occasionally, “Lampard said.” This is a difficult period and I understand why. Today the first half showed me the reasons and we have to keep fighting and I am the first “who has to keep fighting.
“I will always feel warm: I felt warm when we were on our hot streak, because I know that turning the corner can be negative.”
Gündoğan scored the first goal in the corner in the 18th minute after being set up by Foden, who hit a quick shot for the second in three minutes. De Bruyne started the move inside his own half that ended with him scoring, finding the rebound after Raheem Sterling hit the frame of the goal. Chelsea’s consolation came with almost the last kick of the game from Callum Hudson-Odoi.
FOXES FLYING
A fifth consecutive Premier League victory has propelled Leicester one point behind leaders Liverpool. James Maddison and Youri Tielemans brought the Foxes to victory at St. James’ Park before Andy Carroll scored late for Newcastle.
“My ambition is to go back to Europe and that we can progress,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. “It is always going to be a process for us. We don’t have the finances to go and get that £ 70 million, £ 80 million, £ 90 million player.
“So for us, we have to develop that player, bring in a young player or a senior player like Jonny Evans, who is a top player, and manage his career so that he can help our younger players.”
