Frank Lampard Heaps Praise on 'Fluid' Chelsea Midfield in Burnley Win
By Tom Gott
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has lauded the performance of his midfielders in the Blues' emphatic 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday.
It was a dominant win from Lampard's side, who were led by outstanding performances from N'Golo Kanté, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount in a 4-3-3 formation which proved far too much for Sean Dyche's struggling Clarets.
Kanté offered some real protection at the base of the midfield, while Mount and Havertz combined attacking flair with some impressive work rates, and Lampard confessed he was delighted to have found some balance in his midfield.
"N’Golo Kanté was fantastic behind Mason and Kai, and there was a fluidity about it where they could drop out and get on the ball in deeper areas," he told the club's official website. "There was a lot of energy in that midfield as well as quality.
"We have played slightly differently in the last couple of games, and there have been a lot of positives. It doesn’t mean we can’t change back, but it’s great to see what it did for Kai and for Mason. It brought the best attributes out of what people would regard as really offensive players.
A superb midfield performance.
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"I was really impressed with their humility and work ethic of those two. They were prepared to do both sides of the no.8. That’s what I want from the players who play as the two number eights. I want them to join, help build, get assists and goals, and they did it."
It wasn't only the midfield that impressed Lampard. Goalkeeper Édouard Mendy has kept five clean sheets in his six appearances for the Blues, and he became the first Chelsea goalkeeper to manage three shut-outs in his first three league games since Petr Čech, the man who recommended Mendy in the first place.
"From the first game he’s come in, he’s played well," the boss added. "He’s shown his own security and that’s what we’re striving for. When we brought him in, it was clearly for competition and that’s right, and then it’s up to the players to show their own quality, and he’s shown them.
"I’m so pleased with the way he’s started. He’s settled in really well, engaging, trains hard, wants to talk and make relationships with the players in front of him, so it’s been a really good start for him."