Chelsea need to strengthen in January to keep up with Manchester United and Manchester City, says Frank Lampard
Metro Sport Reporter for Metro.co.uk
Wednesday 22 Nov 2017 8:59 pm
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Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has warned his former club they need to make signings in January to keep up with their title rivals.
The Blues beat Qarabag 4-0 in the Champions League group stages on Wednesday night and started the game without a recognised striker.
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Alvaro Morata has been leading the line for most of the season but he was benched and Eden Hazard played furthest forward with Michy Batshuayi currently sidelined with injury.
Antonio Conte’s men showed few signs that they were missing Morata but Lampard has warned his former club they need to bolster their striking department to maintain a title challenge.
I think they need to add [in January],’ Lampard told BT Sport.

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‘If you’re looking at Morata there, Batshuayi has come in and had moments where he’s scored but seemingly [he doesn’t trust him]

‘Then you have to play Hazard there and change a lot of things. So I think maybe a backup striker
.
‘I think they are going to have to strengthen in midfield at some point but that may be next year. But I think you have to keep strengthening because everybody else is.

‘Manchester City are, Manchester United are, so to stay in the game you have to keep strengthening.’
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Mesut Ozil reportedly agrees contract to join Barcelona in January


Mesut Ozil has agreed a contract with Barcelona and will leave Arsenal in the January transfer window, according to reports in Spain.
The 29-year-old has less than a year remaining on his current deal with Arsene Wenger’s side and will be available to sign as a free agent next summer if he does not extend his contract.


Eden Hazard clarifies his future at Chelsea amid Real Madrid transfer links

Catalunya Radio claim that Barcelona have already held talks with Ozil’s representative, Dr Erkut Sogut, and a three-and-a-half-year contract has now been agreed.
Barcelona have also been informed that Arsenal would accept a bid of €20 million (£17.7m) for the Germany international.
After missing out on a deal for Philippe Coutinho in the summer, Barcelona are understood to be exploring potential alternatives to the Liverpool midfielder.
Earlier this week, Mundo Deportivo reported that Ozil is Barcelona’s ‘Plan B’ in the event that they were unable to sign Coutinho.
The report also claimed that Ozil, who has been heavily linked with Manchester United, has received offers from six other clubs.
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Following Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Tottenham on Saturday, Wenger admitted he was unable to guarantee that Ozil would remain an Arsenal player by the end of January.
‘I am convinced they [Ozil and Alexis Sanchez] love the club and love the team, but all the rest will be decided… when? I don’t really know,’ he said.
‘I believe they love the club and want to stay, but there are other top clubs out there who offer good contracts as well.’

Eden Hazard clarifies his future at Chelsea amid Real Madrid transfer links
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Thursday 23 Nov 2017 3:26 am
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Eden Hazard insists he is happy at Chelsea despite reiterating his ‘admiration’ for La Liga giants Real Madrid .
The Belgium international, who has been named in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year on four separate occasions, has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Spanish capital.
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Hazard has openly admitted the prospect of working at Real, under Zinedine Zidane, would be tempting but says his focus right now is on Chelsea.
‘I am always very fine at this club. I still have two years of my contract [left],’ Hazard told Canal+ when asked about his future.
‘When I feel the desire to leave, I’ll leave. But, for now, I’m a Blue.
‘We know the admiration that I have for Real, but I’m at Chelsea. Every year, things were said about me but I stayed.
‘In Lille, I was announced in Paris, but I stayed. And in Chelsea, people always said that I’m leaving, but I’m still here.’
Hazard, 26, missed the start of the 2017-18 campaign after undergoing surgery over the summer but has shown signs that he is getting back to his best in recent weeks.
He scored braces for both Chelsea and Belgium before the international break and has three goals in the last two games against West Brom and Qarabag.
Hazard started through the middle in Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Qarabag and scored the opener from the spot before setting-up Willian with a superb back-heel.
‘When Chelsea play well Eden Hazard plays well, it’s been a constant over the last few years and he creates so much,’ ex-Chelsea and England midfielder Lampard told BT Sport.
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‘Goals is the one question mark really – we speak about him regularly and the number of goals he gets.
‘But the position he’s in this season gets him closer to the goal and he picks it up centrally. He can play as a false nine but you can ask Willian and Pedro to alternate with him.
‘I do like seeing him in this central role though. When he does get in these central positions he can finish. He is the magic in this Chelsea team. There are other great players but when he’s on it he really does make the difference.’
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A furious Mohamed Salah could only watch from the bench as Liverpool conceded a 93rd minute equaliser against Sevilla on Tuesday night.
The Liverpool attacker had enjoyed another good game for the Reds, despite not scoring, but Jurgen Klopp hauled him off with three minutes of normal time left.
Klopp wanted fresh legs on the pitch to keep a resurgent Sevilla at bay and it meant Salah had to sit out the final minutes of the game and four minutes of injury time.
Sevilla won a corner in the final minute of injury time and then scored from the resulting set piece after some dreadful defending from Liverpool.
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Guido Pizarro’s goal completed a remarkable comeback for Sevilla who were three nil down at half-time.
The performance from Liverpool’s attackers should have been more than enough to secure three points, but the Reds’ midfield and defence collapsed in the second half.
Footage has emerged of Mo Salah's reaction to Sevilla's late equaliser from the bench.
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It was an embarrassing result for Liverpool and footage has emerged of Salah’s furious reaction on the bench to the late equaliser.
Salah is sitting watching nervously with the other substitutes, probably counting the seconds down, before he reacts in disbelief to the goal.
Daniel Sturridge is sitting beside his fellow goalscorer and as the Englishman puts his head in his hands, Salah slams an object down at his feet.
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Stoke (A) – Wed 29 Nov
Brighton (A) – Sat 2 Dec
Spartak Moscow (H) – Wed 6 Dec (Champions League)
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West Brom (H) – Wed 13 Dec
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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte gives his verdict on Sevilla draw ahead of Liverpool clash
The 3-3 draw means Liverpool must wait until next week to book their spot in the last-16 of the Champions League.
The Reds need to beat Spartak Moscow to top their group and cannot afford a loss to the Russians at Anfield.
Sevilla’s fightback means they can top the group should they win their final game against Maribor and Liverpool fails to defeat Spartak.
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