The Brit

wasn't signed for just this season...clearly club wanted to take the opportunity to beat top clubs who couldn't afford him last summer due to pandemic and bought for long-term, even if it was a year too early. I've seen enough to think he will come good. Cost loads but worth remembering he's younger than Mason Mount.

Is this the worst side to top the premier league after a significant amount of games played? Baffles me how they’ve done it. Had a lot of decisions go their way but it’s not just that

Odd that VAR were able to rewind the play back for Luke shaw’s challenge - which he should have been sent off for - but didn’t do the same when Christensen got clattered by Grealish a few weeks ago.

Weirdly it’s pretty much the complete reversal to last season

Even by Chelsea’s standards, the slump in the space of four weeks has been remarkable. Not naive enough to ignore Chelsea’s tendency to react to results and performances like we’ve seen lately regardless of whether I think he should get more time or not.

Sarri only started playing Hudson-Odoi after he handed in a transfer request and the club were trying to persuade him to sign a new deal instead of going to bayern. He still only started four times in the Premier League, Loftus-Cheek six. I compare Sarri to rafa...those that say he did a good job will point to winning the europa league and qualifying for the champions league...but those that don't rate what either did have their reasons and don't rely on what those two 'achievements' say on paper.

Sarri would not have picked the kids you’re taking about. England gave Hudson-Odoi a start before he did.

Conte would have spat his dummy out about something...he does it everywhere he goes

Remember when sky covered that game and they didn’t really show it but Neville was having kittens about a minor incident at the other end, when a blade of grass got in the way of a Utd player?

Villa played far better against Utd than us but lose. Them's the breaks...oh and it helps that if you can’t win from open play, the match officials are always on hand to give a pen to bail them out

But it shouldn’t be dismissed as a silly comparison just because of what Klopp has achieved before. I get that unlike lampard, Klopp had proved himself at dortmund. But Liverpool still had to be very patient for him to turn things around. He was still under a lot of pressure like Lampard is now but Liverpool stood by him. I don’t know if Lampard will come good but three weeks ago chelsea were on a run of 17 games unbeaten and looking good. It’s been a terrible run since then but is it bad enough to sack him now? Seems rather harsh to me and a bit knee jerk.

It doesn’t look great. But the table Doesn’t take into account the difference in qualities of squad, not buying any players last season, unprecedented impact of covid.

Good job Liverpool stuck by Klopp then

Unfortunately chelsea have made this bed. All it takes is a few ropey results and performances, disappointing I know, and the new factions of fanbase that have joined in Abramovich era, which demands a manager be sacked at every opportunity, Chuck their toys out of the pram. In saying that, seeing that chelsea have less points after 16 games than they did last year makes me worry for Lampard a little. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out Roman won’t be chuffed with that after spending over £200m.

If chelsea had united’s luck, they’d be top of the league

What's happened since Leeds, when the figures were impressive and attitude spot on?

Lampard did take responsibility in another part of the interview you're quoting from. But he's right to call a spade a spade. The attitude of the players was woeful yesterday and he's right to call them out on it.

Who had a good game though? Hudson-Odoi off the bench can be happy with his display, Pulisic looked dangerous the few times someone gave him the ball and err, that's probably it. You're right to say Kante was a bit off, but he wasn't helped by having to plug so many holes all at the same time.

Game is all about opinions etc but I’m really Not sure what you saw from Kovacic apart from one neat back heel and run that got Mari an early yellow. Most of the 45 he was running as fast as me as arsenal players ran past him. Can’t remember him making many passes of being involved in the game at all. Wasn’t surprised at all that he was subbed: just surprised Jorginho came on for him

Manager can and will inevitably change at one point or another but issues will remain. The team has become too nice, unable to win when the chips are down or they’re playing badly. Can’t grind out results. Even utd have this and they’ve been playing a lot worse than us this season but are above us because they’ve won so many games playing badly. we’ve spent a lot on fresh blood already but it’s clear the work is not finished and more of the mediocrity needs to be moved on

Like the Everton and Wolves games, what is so depressing about today is the inevitability of it all. We keep losing to teams in sh*t form. There is a soft underbelly in this squad that has seeped in over the years. Players there that are a shadow of the ones who went before them. I’ve already pointed out Lampard’s failing on his own thread so don’t people reading this to think I believe he is immune from criticism. but a lot of tonight wasn’t about tactics, just like the other two away defeats. It was about a shocking attitude, not wanting to do the basics, winning the 50-50s. the moment they actually tried to play with any impetus, they looked like scoring and could have nicked a point (silva and Jorginho both should have scored). I hope they’re feeling ashamed of themselves

I’ve stood by Lampard and still do. But I will call a spade a spade when it’s deserved. Yes the players are just as responsible IMO playing like that but Lampard got a lot wrong today too. Full backs clearly weren’t fit and while azpi and Emerson are nowhere near the same level, perhaps change the formation to compensate? Bringing on a slow Jorginho for ineffective Kovacic was swapping one problem for another. Giroud needed to come on too (even though Abraham eventually did something and scored). Lampard redeemed himself with Hudson-Odoi for Werner early but there are questions why Werner hasn’t been dropped before now. lampard is definitely under pressure for his job now

Yeah I miss those 6-0 defeats at Man City and 4-0 at Bournemouth.

City remain below chelsea in the table...Guardiola out?

Yeah I said that to Loz in the match thread. But he’s the reigning player of the season 🤯so gets a pass 🙄