Frank Lampard has backed Timo Werner to come good for Chelsea and believes he will score “lots of goals” for the club despite his recent struggles.
After scoring five goals in four matches during October and November, Werner has now gone nine games without a goal for the Blues and missed a number of good chances in Monday’s 3-0 win over West Ham.
While his record of eight goals and six assists in 21 games across all competitions this season should not be dismissed, he is yet to hit the heights of last season, when his 34 goals for RB Leipzig earned him his £45m move to Stamford Bridge.
But Lampard – who has often used Werner as a winger since his signing – does not appear concerned, saying: “I talk to him all the time – I don’t sense the frustration.
Saturday 26th December 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
“As a striker you want to be scoring regularly, as he has done in his career. But at the same time, every striker has moments where the ball doesn’t drop for you for whatever reason.
“The positive thing is that he’s getting chances in games, using his attributes to get in the box and showing his speed. He is getting lots of chances and he will score a lot of goals for us.”
Werner admitted before Chelsea’s home victory against West Ham that the Premier League is more physical than he anticipated, and suggested the Blues’ hectic schedule has not helped his adaptation.
Lampard believes those feelings are normal for a player new to the competition, and said: “I think honesty is a good thing. Whether it gets taken in the right context or not, I’m not always sure.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Chelsea’s win over West Ham in the Premier League
“We crave honesty and then we sometimes hang on every word. I don’t think Timo underestimating [the Premier League] is quite the right word.
“I know he wanted to come here and be successful and understood the rigours of the Premier League. It’s just the fact of when you’re here in action, it’s different challenges.
“So I don’t think you can talk about that too much until you’re here and he was talking about his experiences.”
Lampard preparing for ‘best’ Arsenal team
Werner’s latest opportunity to break his duck will come on Saturday when Chelsea take on London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates, live on Sky Sports.
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Ahead of their clash live on Sky Sports, we look back at a classic match from Stamford Bridge where there were theatrical antics between Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, plus a screamer from Michael Essien
The Gunners are enduring a torrid season and sit 15th in the Premier League – just four points above the relegation zone – while Mikel Arteta admitted his side could be in “big trouble” after Tuesday’s 4-1 home defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.
But Lampard – who revealed Ben Chilwell and Reece James are doubtful for the trip to Arsenal due to injury – warned his side to expect a tough test in north London, saying: “I don’t want to talk about what their battle is – they are just a good team with a good manager.
“They have had some tough results recently but the general wave of the Premier League this season has been more inconsistent than it has been in previous seasons.
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Highlights of the Carabao Cup quarter-final match between Arsenal and Man City
“It’s not my concern exactly where they are at – my concern is the team at face value, in terms of quality, and they’re a high-quality team.
“When you play a derby, form does go out the window. Sometimes the idea of playing a derby is the spur that the team needs to try and get a result.
“So we have to expect the best Arsenal, which is a really good football team with really good football players. Well coached, rotations in their team, lots of threats in attacking areas – that’s what I expect. So we have to prepare for that.”
