Lampard praises ‘leader’ Willian and insists Chelsea ‘can be a lot better’ after 4-1 Southampton win | OneFootball

Frank Lampard has praised the performance of “leader” Willian following Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Southampton on Sunday.

Tammy Abraham put Chelsea ahead at St Mary’s with his eighth Premier League goal of the season, before midfielder Mason Mount doubled their advantage just seven minutes later.

Danny Ings pulled one back following some lapse defending from the Blues, however the South West London outfit moved level on points with fourth-placed Leicester City after further goals from N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi sealed a comfortable victory.

Despite seeing his side hit four to secure a comfortable away win, Lampard believes his side ‘can be a lot better’ as they bid for consistent performances.

“I didn’t think we started that well, even though doing so had been something we’d talked about before,” Lampard told BBC Match of the Day.

“The goal came at the right time and after that I felt pretty comfortable. Getting four away from home – we’re scoring – so it’s a nice afternoon.

Abraham’s continued rich vein of form will take the headlines, however, Lampard reserved added praise for veteran winger Willian following the Brazilian’s impressive performance on the South Coast.

“Tammy’s [Abraham] performance was great, his all-round performance and his work off the ball. But I must say I thought Willian was immense – he is an example in what he was doing on and off the ball. He’s a leader – not one that shouts – but in how he performs.”

Chelsea’s victory moved them up to fifth in the Premier League table, having secured back-to-back wins over Brighton and Southampton in recent fixtures.

Lampard’s side now sit just two points behind second-placed Manchester City, though the Chelsea boss is keen to ensure his inexperienced side don’t lose the run of themselves as they look for success this season.

“Let’s not get carried away, it’s a long season and we feel we might have picked up more points than we’ve actually got. We’ve not been at our absolute best and we can be a lot better. We shouldn’t be sloppy, at 2-0 we should go 3-0. We’re scoring goals, great, but can we tighten up? Yes.”

Read: Abraham caps ‘fantastic’ week with ‘important’ goal as Chelsea put four past Southampton

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