The Observer - 25.08.2019

• The Observer
  8 25.08.19 Football

Premier League

Tammy

Abraham nets

Chelsea’s decisive

goal, his second

of the match,

in their 3-2 win

at Norwich City

CHRIS RADBURN/REUTERS

Abraham double kickstarts

Lampard’s Chelsea reign

2
NORWICH
Cantwell 6, Pukki 30

3

CHELSEA

Abraham 3 68, Mount 17

Jacob Steinberg
Carrow Road Krul; Aarons, Hanley, Godfrey, Lewis; Leitner
(McLean 81), Trybull
(Vrancic 81); Buendía,
Stiepermann■ (Srbeny
81), Cantwell; Pukki
Subs not used Byram,
Klose, Fährmann, Tettey

Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta,

Christensen, Zouma,

Emerson; Kovacic,

Jorginho■, Barkley; Pulisic

(Willian 84), Abraham

(Giroud 75), Mount

(Alonso 90)

Subs not used Caballero,

Batshuayi, Tomori

Norwich Chelsea

Referee Martin Atkinson Attendance 27,032

4-2-3-1 4-3-3

Frank Lampard stood in his
technical area until the bitter end,
oozing tension as he urged his
players on and applauded every
tackle. This is what the job has done

to Chelsea’s new manager. He was a

bag of nerves until the sweet sound

of Martin Atkinson’s fi nal whistle

allowed him to march across the

pitch and milk the applause of the

adoring travelling fans, who were

ecstatic after seeing their favourite

son fi nally get off the mark.

Victorious in a competitive

fi xture at the fourth time of asking,

Lampard could feel the weight

lifting off his shoulders. He admitted

that he was relieved after Chelsea

belatedly tamed their boisterous

promoted opponents and he also

took immense satisfaction from

another outstanding performance

from Mason Mount and a clinical

display in attack from Tammy

Abraham, who scored his fi rst goals

for the club, both sharp fi nishes.

All the same this was only the

fi rst step on a long road for

Lampard’s young side. They

remain a team in transition,

a group grasping for

maturity, and better sides

than Norwich will take note

of the defensive failings that

threatened to undermine

Chelsea again.

They are yet to keep a

clean sheet this season

and the chaos of the

opening period summed

up the erratic start to the

Lampard era. While there

were bursts of electrifying

attacking play, Chelsea

suffered from a lack of

ruthlessness in front

of goal at times and

the absence of

N’Golo Kante left

a one-paced midfi eld vulnerable to

Norwich’s creativity.

Lampard’s head must have been

swimming once the fi rst half was

over. After three minutes he stood in

his technical area, arms outstretched

as Abraham cantered towards him

after smashing a fi ne volley past Tim

Krul. The 21-year-old striker was

recently targeted with racial abuse

on social media and many doubt

whether he is polished enough

to lead the line for Chelsea,

but this was a display that

suggested he could yet

be the answer.

“Tammy has had

a tough little period

for reasons we all

know and strikers get

judged purely on goals

sometimes, ” Chelsea’s

manager said. “But

if you talk about the

character to play for this

club, Tammy is right up

there.”

For a brief period it

seemed that Chelsea

were on the right track.

They had even found a

way to make a moment of ill fortune

work in their favour. Lampard was

forced to shift Mount to the left

when Pedro suffered a hamstring

injury in the warm-up and the

youngster played a prominent role

in the opening goal, opening up

the pitch with a raking pass out to

Christian Pulisic, who combined

with César Azpilicueta to tee up

Abraham.

Yet the visitors were ahead for

only three minutes. With Mateo

Kovacic and Jorginho offering

minimal resistance in midfi eld,

Emiliano Buendía chopped a pass

through to Teemu Pukki and the

striker crossed for Todd Cantwell to

bundle in the equaliser.

Carrow Road roared, sensing that

Chelsea were there for the taking,

but Daniel Farke’s side were behind

again in the 17th minute. Released

by Ross Barkley, Mount swerved

inside and scored for the second

time in a week.

Back came Norwich, eager to

protect an 11-game unbeaten run

at home. Buoyed by Chelsea’s

profl igacy in front of goal, Buendía

slipped a pass behind Kurt Zouma,

who failed to react in time as Pukki

fi red a low shot underneath Kepa

Arrizabalaga for his fi fth goal in

three games.

The second half was quieter,

more controlled, but both sides

continued to chase a winning goal.

Just when it seemed that Norwich

had the edge, Chelsea countered,

Kovacic fed Abraham and the

striker’s shot from 20 yards eluded

the unsighted Krul.

Still Chelsea struggled to close

the game out. They escaped when

Ben Godfrey’s late header hit the bar

and Lampard could celebrate at last.

47% Possession 53%

5 Shots on Target 8

6 Total Attempts 23

long road for

ung side. They

m in transition,

ing for

better sides

will take note

ve failings that

undermine

.

et to keep a

is season

of the

od summed

start to the

While there

f electrifying

y, Chelsea

a lack of

n front

es and

f

left

y

recently targeted w

on social media

whether he is

to lead the l

but thisw

sugges

be th

“T

a tou

for re

know

judge

some

mana

ifyou

charac

club, T

there.”

Fora

seemed

were on

They h