Frank Lampard says he always believed in Tammy Abraham

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said that he always had the trust and belief that Tammy Abraham would prove his credentials with the club. The England international made a slow beginning to the campaign with three below-par performances but he has since found a scoring streak with seven goals in the past three matches.

Speaking in a press conference, Lampard said that he had no clear expectations for the young marksman but always had the trust that the 21-year-old could make the difference, he told: “I never had clear expectations for him, only the fact that I believed in him and trusted in him. I know a lot has been made about the ban giving young players opportunities but I felt the time was right for Tammy to have his opportunity at this club anyway, because of the quality he has got. I’m really delighted that he has got his goals. I think there’s even more to come. He’s in a good place, a place that just requires him to sustain and improve even more and I think with his mentality and the way he is every day I hope to see that.”

The Blues started the season with one point from the opening two matches but they have since accumulated seven points from the next three games. The positive run of form has propelled them to the sixth spot with eight points and just goal difference separates them from the final two Champions League positions.

The west London giants will now shift their focus to the Champions League where they are scheduled to face Valencia for the opener. Los Che find themselves in not the best of positions after the shock sacking of manager Marcelino but the Blues can’t take them for granted. After the midweek European game, the Blues have a home league encounter against Liverpool. The Blues only succumbed to a penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool during the recent European Super Cup and it remains to be seen whether they can provide another performance of that calibre.