Lampard sack pressure intensifies as Chelsea beaten by Brentford

Chelsea’s winless run continued at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night as they were beaten 2-0 by Brentford. The defeat leaves the Blues on 39 points, meaning that they are just 10 points above the relegation zone and their chances of rallying towards the European spots have perished further – with an immense rebuild now required.

It was an own goal from Cesar Azpilicueta that opened the scoring, with the Spain international chesting the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga in the 37th minute after a corner was not cleared at the front post. Brentford will feel that they could have put the game to bed in the first half, though their rallying opponents could not make use of their dominance after the half-time break.

Bryan Mbeumo then came off of the bench to double the Bees’ lead in the 78th minute, with the winger breaking free on the right before cutting inside and firing a fierce strike in at the front post. Express Sport takes a look at five talking points from Chelsea’s defeat…

Lampard could suffer Stellini fate

Frank Lampard has failed to guide Chelsea to a single point since being appointed as their interim manager, losing all five matches in charge, and his job is far from safe. Tottenham recently showcased that a stand-in boss is not a safe job, with Cristian Stellini recently being sacked after three poor performances having taken control from Antonio Conte. Thus, it would be no surprise if Lampard starts to come under pressure from the higher powers at the club and fans given that performances are showing no signs of improving.

Trust the recruitment

Todd Boehly arrived at Stamford Bridge with a plan to invest in youth and then develop prospects so that they do not have to pay mega-fees for every single signing each summer. However, it is very hard to grasp how the talented youngsters at the club will improve if they are made to warm the bench. Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhaylo Mudryk were all named among the substitutes against Brentford, with the latter coming on at half-time along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Focal point

Brentford showed Chelsea exactly what they needed on Wednesday night – a true focal point. Ivan Toney has caused defenders problems on a weekly basis, and it was no exception against the Blues as he ran their backline ragged. The 25-year-old gave Brentford a constant out-ball due to his height and power, whilst also giving his teammates someone to aim for when the ball is worked out wide. Conversely, Chelsea had absolutely no presence in the final third and it was clear to see there was a striker-shaped hole in their side that Raheem Sterling struggled to fill.

Never too late

Reports are circulating that Mauricio Pochettino will not take charge of Chelsea until the summer, though that could be another disastrous decision being made by Boehly. Although he was tasked with steadying a sinking ship, Lampard is losing the faith of supporters and the club is sleepwalking towards a bottom-half finish. Pochettino is said to be a manager that has enthused players so his presence in the dugout would inevitably provide a much-needed lift behind the scenes and on the pitch so that the season does not end on a sour note.