- Chelsea were dominated by Manchester City, according to Frank Lampard
- City won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge and could easily have won even more handily
- Lampard and Steven Gerrard criticised tactics of Chelsea boss Antonio Conte
Chelsea were dominated in every department by Manchester City in their high profile Premier League clash, according to Frank Lampard.
City won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a super Kevin de Bruyne strike, and could easily have won more handily after an impressive performance.
Lampard, a former midfielder for both clubs, said Chelsea gave City too much space, and the concession of a winner was inevitable.
Chelsea were dominated in every department by Man City, according to Frank Lampard
City won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a Kevin de Bruyne strike and could have won handily
Lampard and Steven Gerrard criticised the tactics of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Speaking as a pundit on BT Sport, Lampard said: ‘They were outclassed, outplayed, and out positioned. Every Man City player on the ball had three or four options.
‘Chelsea were two or three seconds late on the press and could never get close as a team, and when you continue to do that in a game, eventually Man City are going to produce a moment of quality, which Kevin de Bruyne did.’
Fellow former England midfielder Steven Gerrard was equally cutting, saying Chelsea showed their title rivals too much respect.
Lampard, a former midfielder for both clubs, said Chelsea gave City too much space
The showing by Chelsea was compared unfavourably to their midweek Champions League win away to Atletico Madrid, 2-1 at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Former Liverpool captain Gerrard felt the decisions by Chelsea boss Antonio Conte – including bringing on midfielder Willian for injured striker Alvaro Morata – helped suck all the momentum out of the team.
Gerrard said: ‘Chelsea showed them too much respect, they sat off them all game and never tried to press. Conte got his substitutions wrong today.
‘After such a great performance in midweek and such a big lift from that, they never came out on the front foot. At home, being the champions, they just gave City too much time on the ball all day long.’
Former England midfielder Gerrard said Chelsea showed their title rivals too much respect