Chelsea's
trip to Manchester United still has the feeling of a "big game", says Blues
boss Frank Lampard, as he searches for a key early-season victory over their
big-six rivals on Saturday.
The sides are two of the most successful in Premier League history, and
clashes between them in previous years often came with both teams
challenging for the title.
However, Liverpool and Manchester City have established themselves as the
top-two sides in the Premier League over the past two seasons, leaving
Chelsea and United to battle for the two remaining places in the top four.
But both Chelsea and United are looking to close the gap at the top of the
table this season and, with Liverpool and City already showing
vulnerabilities, Lampard says he has no doubt over the importance of his
side's visit to Old Trafford - live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Asked if United vs Chelsea still feels like a big game, he said: "Yes, it
certainly does - as it should do.
"We've played them a lot - we played them in two cup competitions as well as
the league last year. They're a quality team with quality individuals and
organisation. We saw how they went to Paris in midweek and got a fantastic
result.
"At the minute, everybody is very close in the league. It's an opportunity
to get some hard-earned points, but it will be a really tough match."
'I expect us to improve'
Chelsea were an unpredictable side in Lampard's first season in charge and
they have continued that trait this campaign, with their latest Premier
League game seeing them throw away a 2-0 lead to draw 3-3 at home to
Southampton.
It was their second six-goal tie in just five league games, but Lampard says
the absence of a pre-season this summer has hampered his new-look side's
development.
Questioned whether his team was at the standard he was looking for, he
responded: "I'm seeing some signs of that, but I also know we've brought six
players in that are looking to get in our first XI and a lot of them had
injuries and some of them are younger.
"I'm seeing signs but I'm also seeing things I want us to improve in every
game, so I'm not jumping ahead of myself. I knew this would be something
which would take some time.
"We missed a pre-season, so our time now is real-life games, which is not
always great. That's why I expect us to get better and we need to keep
working on those points.
"It's not a perfect situation to have new players in, when you don't have
training time. But we'll keep working."
Cech not in squad to face United
Chelsea raised eyebrows this week when they named their technical and
performance adviser, Petr Cech - who retired from playing in the summer of
2019 - in their Premier League squad as emergency back-up.
With Kepa Arrizabalaga set to miss the game at United with a shoulder
injury, the potential for Cech to make a remarkable return to the matchday
squad was raised - but quickly dashed by his former team-mate Lampard.
"Petr Cech's not coming - not in that capacity!" said Lampard. "I suppose if
you're Petr Cech and you've been one of the best goalkeepers - in my
opinion, the best - in Premier League history, it's always a big story."
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