Lampard insists Chelsea ahead of schedule: We qualified for Champions League after Hazard sale | OneFootball

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard says his team is ahead of schedule after qualifying for this season's Champions League.

Lampard believes there is plenty to be positive about as Chelsea prepare to welcome in 2021.

"Gaining Champions League football certainly felt for me ahead of the curve because we had a year where we lost probably the most influential player to one team in the Premier League in Eden Hazard, with how he performed the year before," he said.

"We know we couldn't bring players in but the Academy finally gave us players who earned opportunities within a squad and we fought and worked really hard to get above certain other top teams to make Champions League football so I was pleased with that.

"I know standards here are to win things but clearly when I came into the job the landscape had changed from a few years previously so now it's a case of can we build on that. My expectations are always high but you also have to be realistic. I see lots of positive signs within the group but only the work ahead is what counts."