Frank Lampard has insisted that his side must be more clinical in the final third if they wish to compete with Liverpool ahead of FA Cup Fifth Round clash.

The Chelsea manager was adamant in his interview on the Chelsea FC website that playing for the Blues brings monumental pressure as he encouraged his players to question whether they have done enough thus far.

Liverpool defeated the Blues 5-4 on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup final having gone toe-to-toe in a four-goal thriller at the dawn of the season.

Lampard declared his side must work hard to replicate previous performances before he finally professed his admiration for the journey Jurgen Klopp has orchestrated.

‘We must be more clinical’

Throughout the course of the season it has become increasingly evident the Blues have been lacking a profound number of goals in comparison to the chances they create.

Chelsea have the fourth worst xG in the Premier League of +6.47, despite sitting fourth in the league on points. In addition, the Blues are ranked second in the league based on chances created, which demonstrates the level of ruthlessness left to be desired.

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This is not dumbfounded revelation to Lampard, who said that he wants more goals from his forward players as he references the level of ruthlessness in front of goal, explained above, needed to cement top four.

“We need more goals from forward areas,” he began. “When you’re trying to make the top four, if you start to make comparisons with other teams that make the top four year in, year out or the teams that are there now, there are goals across their frontlines.

“It comes with the territory of being a Chelsea player in an attacking area, there’s a pressure on you to deliver when it comes to goals and assists.”

“When you look back at the stats, you have to ask whether you have contributed enough in the things that really matter.

“The rest of us are fighting for consistency, fighting to improve and we have to understand that we’re in that. I think Chelsea fans understand that, to be fair.”

‘We must try to replicate previous work’

Lampard’s side battled with the Reds to the death in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup Final which saw Klopp walk away 5-4 penalty victors.

The Chelsea boss has asked his side to replicate the levels of performance they reached before rallying up his players.

“We have to try to replicate the work [from those games], particularly in the second half at Stamford Bridge and most of the Super Cup game where we went toe-to-toe,” Lampard said. 

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“It should give us confidence that, if we are at our best, we can go against them and match them.

“I’ve been watching both of those games this last week and our team looks different in terms of individuals because we do have injury problems but the work, we’re putting in will hopefully improve us over the big picture.”

Lampard hails Liverpool business plan

Chelsea’s all-time goal scorer remains widely considered as a new professional in the coaching field and declared his admiration for Klopp’s plan which ultimately led the Reds to where they are now.

“There is a plan [at Liverpool] that seems to run through the club," concluded Lampard. "We’ll try to do here as well - keep moving forward, understand there will be tough times where I’ll be questioned, we’ll be questioned, formations will be questioned, the club will be questioned, and we have to stay tough within that.

“Alongside that, they’ve signed fantastic players at the right times. The ones that feel pivotal are Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, players at big levels that absolutely improved their team. 

“It’s a great knack they have of finding the right player at the right time that fits the way they want to play and keeps them moving forward so it’s a great model in those terms.

“I don’t want to look anywhere near like I’m comparing us now or what we might be because what they’ve done is fantastic and it should only be spoken about at the other end where they’re at now when they’ve been very successful. 

“I’m under no illusions that what’s really behind their story is hard work and that’s what I’m prepared to do.”

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