Chelsea need to stay grounded amid title talk, says Lampard

Saturday's 3-1 victory over Leeds United pushed the Blues up to the top of the league table with 22 points

LONDON:

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said there is nothing wrong with supporters dreaming they can win the Premier League title but stressed his players cannot afford to get complacent.

Two thousand fans in Stamford Bridge, the first attendance in nine months due to Covid-19 restrictions, watched Chelsea come from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Leeds United on Saturday.

Chelsea finished the day at the top of the league table for the first time since September 2018, although Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool can overhaul Lampard's side again later on Sunday.

Asked if Chelsea fans are right to consider them title contenders, Lampard told reporters: "There's certainly nothing wrong with the fans thinking that.

"It's great to have them back, their input was huge, the noise huge. You can see how excited they are at the end that we are top of the league," he said.

"My job and our job is to know that it's a long season and the next question is how consistent can we be with this form, how much we can improve, because I believe there is a lot more we can do and there will be a lot of challenges ahead."

Lampard faces a nervous wait to learn the extent of an injury picked up by Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech in the first half.

"It is a hamstring injury which we will find out the severity of in the next couple of days," he said. "It is obviously a disappointment going into this busy period."