Chelsea's Abraham hits hat-trick against Luton but Werner frustration continues

 

The banner draped over the top tier of the Shed End served as a reminder that it will be a long time before Chelsea’s fans give up on Frank Lampard. Although results have been poor, they remain behind one of the finest players in their club’s history. The message, delivered at a social distance, was emphatic: “In Frank We Trust. Then. Now. Forever.”

Whether it is enough to alter the thinking of Chelsea’s board remains to be seen. Sentimentality is unlikely to be a factor if this underperforming side continues to eat away at the goodwill. Lampard’s legendary status will drift into irrelevance if results remain poor and although Chelsea ended a tough week on a positive note by reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup, they were unconvincing at times, mixing bursts of quality in attack with missteps at the back.

The positives for Lampard began with Tammy Abraham scoring a hat-trick to subdue Luton and combining well with Timo Werner. Hakim Ziyech, Billy Gilmour and Mason Mount all caught the eye, offering creativity and intensity. Over the course of 90 minutes, though, Chelsea remained too inconsistent. They lost concentration at 2-0 up, gifting Luton a way back when Kepa Arrizabalaga a soft goal, and there was disappointment for Werner when he wasted a chance to lift his confidence, spurning a late penalty.

“Expectations are that we go through,” Lampard said. “But we had to get it right. Tammy gets three goals, which is great for him and us. We had a lot of threats in our play. The players need to continue with that attitude and level of performance. With Timo, I’m disappointed for him. He gave a lot to the performance.”

For all the talk of Chelsea’s players having to fight for the cause after a dismal run of form, slight tactical tweaks made a difference. After suggesting that desire would matter more than the system, Lampard did alter his approach, switching to something close to a 4-4-2 formation, with Werner buzzing around Abraham up front. 

The switch gave Werner more room, leading to Chelsea’s breakthrough in the 10th minute. The snowy conditions did nothing to slow them down and Luton were already showing signs of strain before Werner, released down the right by Ziyech, produced a clever cutback for Abraham to stroke a composed finish beyond Simon Sluga, Luton’s goalkeeper. Although the visitors protested, arguing there were two balls on the pitch at the start of the move, the goal was not against the run of play.

Chelsea, who will visit Barnsley in the next round, were dominant. Gilmour, who surely deserves a chance in the league, was smart and feisty alongside Mount in central midfield. The youngster’s blend of hunger in the tackle and artistry in possession impressed, while Mount offered his usual energy, underlining his importance to Lampard after being handed the captain’s armband. Full report here