Frank Lampard tells his Chelsea players they have 'no excuses' | OneFootball

Chelsea set the tone for the rest of the season with an impressive 1-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday.

At least that’s what manager Frank Lampard has told his players.

Speaking after the victory, sealed by a late Michy Batshuayi goal, Lampard couldn’t hide his joy.

“I’m delighted with every element of the performance,” the Blues’ boss told reporters.

“It feels huge – it’s just six points in the group and we play Burnley on Saturday.

“But I think we’re allowed to be excited tonight.”

Chelsea got off to a rocky start this season but have now made it three wins in a row in the Premier League and two in a row in the Champions League, leaving them in a solid position in both competitions.

Youngsters Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham all started in Amsterdam and were told in no uncertain terms what is expected of them going forward.

“That’s the blueprint. There are no excuses for us now,” Lampard insisted. “That’s the standard and we can’t drop it.

“The young players are still babies in terms of Champions League minutes so this was a huge test for them.

“There was a good balance of young players and experience. We need to realise the things that made that happened tonight because Ajax are a top, top team.”

Ajax reached the semi-finals of the competition last season and started well on Wednesday night, making Chelsea’s response all the more impressive.