Frank Lampard has slammed his players after their 1-1 draw at by admitting they were ‘lucky not to lose’ at the Amex Stadium.
Cesar Azpilicueta’s goal after 10 minutes after Aaron Mooy had blocked Tammy Abraham’s initial effort appeared to have put the Blues on course for a third successive away Premier League victory following their wins at and over the festive period.
But Brighton came back into the game and piled on the pressure and were rewarded for their endeavours when Alireza Jahanbakhsh netted the equaliser with a spectacular overhead kick with six minutes remaining.
Graham Potter’s men pushed for a winner having been rejuvenated by Jahanbakhsh’s second Premier League goal in as many games, but they were forced to settle for a point.
The result also means that Manchester United could cut the gap to fourth-place Chelsea to two points if they beat Arsenal in the late game on New Year’s Day, but it was the Blues’ lack of ruthlessness which frustrated Lampard the most on the south coast.
‘In the first half, the game was there to be won. We weren’t ruthless enough. We got the goal and we had the possession. But we just didn’t kill the game off,’ the Chelsea manager told BT Sport.
‘We allowed them to stay in the game. In the end it was a wonder goal but we were lucky not to lose the game.
‘In the end, the tactics matched up for both teams but they were better than us. We have to take that on the chin.
The stalemate meant Lampard’s men have collected just seven points from their last six Premier League games, and the Chelsea manager admitted their inability to string results together is worrying.
‘The lack of consistency is a concern. It’s something we absolutely have to look at.
‘We have to look at the game today. It’s a point, I’m not happy with the performance.’
