Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard feels Chelsea’s Premier League title rivals will struggle to overturn the Blues’ six-point lead at the top of the table this season.
Chelsea sit six points ahead of second-placed Liverpool at the summit after 17 games following their run of 11 straight victories in the division.
The Blues have won every league match since Antonio Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation at half-time of the 3-0 defeat of Arsenal on Sept. 24, and club legend Lampard is backing them to go on and lift the title in May.
“As a Chelsea man, it is great to see, all credit to everybody there,” Lampard told Sky Sports.
“The manager obviously changed the system after a defeat at Arsenal. Nobody would have fancied them to be anywhere near winning the league at that point and now they look the dominant team.”
“I don’t like to tempt fate but I can’t see anyone who has got the consistency to close the gap, so I fancy Chelsea strongly now.”
Lampard, Chelsea’s record goal scorer, believes Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal can all challenge, but expects his former club to hold them off.
“[Man] City are in a decent position,” Lampard said. “And there are teams with quality for sure — City, I think Liverpool are very good to watch this year, and Arsenal.”
“I think those will be the group chasing but with Chelsea, when you take that kind of a gap into Christmas, I think barring suspensions or injuries to top players like [Eden] Hazard and [Diego] Costa, I fancy them to carry it through.”