Frank Lampard backs Timo Werner to end goal-scoring drought ahead of Arsenal derby clash and pile misery on Mikel Arteta… but refuses to comment on Arsenal’s ‘relegation battle’
- Frank Lampard spoke to the media ahead of his side facing Arsenal on Saturday
- The Chelsea boss backs Timo Werner to regularly get among the goals
- Werner completed a big money summer move but has struggled for form
- Lampard refuses to be drawn on whether crisis club Arsenal could be relegated
Frank Lampard has backed out-of-form Timo Werner to rediscover his goal-scoring touch on Boxing Day and help pile the pressure on Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
The German striker has been widely criticised since his £53million arrival in the summer, after managing just eight goals in all competitions so far in 21 appearances.
Werner has scored four Premier League goals for Lampard’s men though hasn’t found the back of the net since early November against bottom of the table Sheffield United.
Frank Lampard expects a tough game against Arsenal and refused on Wednesday to say whether he believes Mikel Arteta’s struggling side find themselves in a relegation battle
Lampard insists the goals will come for big money summer signing Timo Werner at Chelsea
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Saturday’s showdown at the Emirates, Lampard said of Werner: ‘I talk to him all then time and I don’t sense frustration, as a striker you want to score regularly because you get judged, hes done it regularly in his career.
‘Every striker has patches and moments when the ball doesn’t drop for you for whatever reason.
‘The positive thing is he’s getting chances in games and using his attributes to get in the box, to show his speed, so they’ll come.
‘Honesty is a good thing, I know he wanted to come here and be a success.
‘It’s just a fact that when you’re here in action it’s different challenges, so I don’t think you can talk about that much until you’re here. He understood the rigors of the Premier League.
Chelsea beat Liverpool to Werner’s signing, though he has only four league goals to his name
‘He’s getting lots of chances and he will score a lot of goals for us. With Tammy [Abraham] I’m pleased also, he has to keep working and keep progressing.
‘Last season was a real breakthrough for us in terms of being a no 9.’
In recent fixtures Lampard has been weighing up which of Werner or Abraham to play alongside veteran striker Olivier Giroud, who is very much in a purple patch of form with eight goals in 14 games this season and forcing himself back into plans
Giroud may well lead the line against his former club on Saturday, as Arsenal enter the match on the back of a losing run and languish 15th in the league table as a result.
It is the Gunners’ worst ever start to a Premier League season, though Lampard refused to be drawn on whether he feels Arteta’s side are now in an unthinkable relegation battle.
Arteta’s situation is bleak with Arsenal without a win in seven and sitting in 15th position
‘I don’t want to talk about what their battle is, they’re just a good team with a good manager, they’ve had some tough results recently,’ said Lampard.
‘It’s not my concern where they’re at, my concern is the team at face value and they’re a high quality team.
‘When you play a derby form does go out of the window, we have to expect the best Arsenal, well coached and lots of rotation.
‘I’m very at pains not to talk about other managers’ situations, I don’t know about the thousands of things he [Arteta] has to do on a day-to-day, like he doesn’t know mine.’
