Lampard laments Chelsea Premier League schedule that gives an advantage to title rivals
Speaking ahead of the weekend clash (h/t Football.london), Frank Lampard went on a rant to highlight the issue that Chelsea are facing because of a tight Premier League schedule.
Chelsea’s Premier League match against Aston Villa comes exactly 48 hours after their derby game against Arsenal. Chelsea and Villa both put in a request to have their game postponed by a day.
However, it was turned down. Lampard said that this provides an unfair advantage to other Premier League teams who have an extra day’s rest.
Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur all have 72 hours between their matches. But Chelsea, alongside Manchester City, have to play two matches in two days.
Highlighting this point, Lampard also mentioned that such a schedule will reduce the quality on display in the league. Moreover, it will be a risk for players who will have to play in both the matches.
“It’s counter-productive for the quality of the Premier League. It’s a risk for players if they are going to play both games at the top-end elite sport.”
The English manager, highlighting the extra days his competitors are getting, thinks that this is unfair and some blame has to be put on the broadcasters.
An injury crisis?
The former Derby County manager’s problems have been increased by a mini-injury crisis. Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Reece James have all been sidelined for the time being.
Referring to the effect of the schedule on players, Lampard said that he will have to shuffle his squad in both the matches.
He said he cannot “bang out the same team” in consecutive matches and expect the same high-level performance from them. The Chelsea manager’s comments here do make sense. (h/t Football.london)
More Chelsea News:
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- Atletico Madrid keen on Chelsea outcast Marcos Alonso
- Chelsea stars left in awe of young starlet Billy Gilmour during training
48 hours between two top-flight fixtures is not a lot of time, and it’s even more challenging if you’re fighting for something as important as the Premier League title.