Chelsea find their 'new Eden Hazard' as Frank Lampard gets perfect response from players

That was the positive reaction Frank Lampard wanted from Chelsea.

After a shock defeat against West Ham, the Blues enjoyed a comfortable evening at Stamford Bridge and secured an important win after Leicester and Manchester United won earlier in the day.

It moves Chelsea back up to fourth spot and Lampard was pleased at what he described as a “professional” display as his side bounced back in style. Three goals, three points and a first Premier League clean sheet since the restart meant it was almost the perfect evening.

One of the most pleasing aspects for Lampard was the way Chelsea defended against a physical Watford side, especially their defending from set-pieces after their defensive horror show at West Ham.

Lampard dropped Antonio Rudiger and Marcos Alonso and Chelsea looked more solid at the back on a night when the pressure was on Chelsea to keep pace with their top-four rivals.

Chelsea's new Hazard?

The comparisons between Christian Pulisic and Eden Hazard seem to be increasing every week. Perhaps that is unfair as few can match Hazard but, after a slow start to his Stamford Bridge career, Pulisic is really starting to show he has star potential.

The American had injuries and spells out of the team before the season was suspended but has returned in excellent form. His transfer fee of £57.6million raised eyebrows but it looks like he will have a huge role to play in the Frank Lampard revolution.

Asked about comparisons with Hazard after the game, Pulisic said: “He was an incredible player for Chelsea and a world-class player. I am just trying to be my own player and hopefully the fans like that guy. I feel really confident in my game right now.”

Giroud staking his claim

With all the excitement around the impending arrival of Timo Werner, Chelsea’s move to tie down Olivier Giroud to a one-year contract extension went a bit under the radar during lockdown. But it already looks like a good bit of business because Giroud is proving his worth.

The 33-year-old has showed since the restart he still has an important role to play at Stamford Bridge. Giroud opened the scoring against Watford, has now scored twice in three starts and looks set to play a key part in the run-in as Chelsea battle to secure Champions League qualification.

There was a lot of talk about how Tammy Abraham would respond to the signing of Werner but he has struggled since the restart and Giroud has moved ahead of him to become Frank Lampard’s first-choice to lead the line.