Lampard also reveals Chelsea players held 'aggressive' inquest at half-time after below-par first-half display
Monday 30 December 2019 10:26, UK
Frank Lampard conceded Jorginho was fortunate avoid a second yellow card moments before he sparked Chelsea's stunning late comeback at Arsenal.
The Brazilian was the beneficiary of a howler from Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno, cancelling out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's first-half header on 83 minutes before Tammy Abraham struck the winner three minutes from time.
Jorginho, introduced from the bench after just 34 minutes as Lampard scrambled for a response to Arsenal's dominant start, was booked for a preventing Alexandre Lacazette from breaking on the counter on 55 minutes but escaped a second yellow for a cynical foul on Matteo Guendouzi six minutes before he hauled Chelsea level.
"It was one of those, it certainly could have been a second yellow," Lampard told his post-match press conference. "In a London derby lots of those fouls happen, some happened earlier in the game and didn't get yellow cards whereas some did.
"We might have struck a bit of luck with that one, but there will be times where I moan about not getting luck in other games.
"I don't think it was absolutely clear cut, and maybe you make your own luck sometimes, the way Jorginho played was a big catalyst for change when he came on. He was winning second balls and showing character."
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta refused to share his assessment, despite describing the incident as "very clear", but Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness was firm in his analysis.
"Is it a second yellow? Not at all," Souness said. "Guendouzi throws himself to the ground. There's a little bit [of contact] on his wrist but how do you go down like that? It's a yellow card for those waving their hands at the referee."
Chelsea reached the interval in need of relief after being played off the park by a hungrier Arsenal side keen to secure Arteta victory in his first home game in charge.
Lampard withdrew full-back Emerson as Jorginho entered the fray towards the end of the first half, but the Chelsea boss revealed he considered an earlier change when confronted by his team's start.
"The main thing in the first 30 minutes wasn't the tactics, it was the spirit," he added. "Arsenal were quicker, we were lethargic, they were brave, and we were nervous.
"I could have made a change after 10 minutes, and it wasn't just Emerson, it could have been any of the players just to change it.
"It's hard to convey a message from the sidelines and sometimes it has to be a gesture. We changed and it got better."
Tempers flared in the Chelsea dressing room at half-time, with Lampard and his players involved in a heated inquest into their below-par first-half performance.
Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma were seen continuing the discussion as they made their way out for the second half at the Emirates, but Lampard welcomed the nature of the discussion.
"I like that, there should be [an inquest at half-time]," Lampard added. "You don't want 11 quiet players.
"I said my piece and it was pretty firm because you cannot come here and have nothing about you and think you're going to get anything. Win, lose or draw, I wasn't bothered ahead of the second half, all I was concerned with was could we show something because we had to.
"We are Chelsea, we cannot roll up and not feel like the 3,000 fans that travelled across London to watch game. Then the lads started talking and it was a bit aggressive, which is a good thing. And the response was everything I wanted.
"We've been rightly questioned recently and accused of lacking something. Today is not a turning point, it's only a turning point if we show it going forward. But we showed we can have a right go and win a game in a different manner.
"We beat Spurs by playing really good football from start to end, today we won by showing fighting spirit and if we put them together, we will have chance."
The nature of Chelsea's late comeback was crushing for Arteta and Arsenal, who were outstanding for the first half an hour.
It's clear the Spaniard still has work to do to rid Arsenal of the deep-lying defensive issues that plagued his predecessor Unai Emery, but there were signs of encouragement in the performance.
"I am pleased with a lot of things that I have seen," the Gunners boss said. "I am pleased with a lot of things we trained and actually happened in the game - and how [the players] buy into this.
"But I am disappointed to lose the game obviously, the way we conceded the goals and the timing of it as well.
"We had to sustain that level for longer periods against a very, very physical team like Chelsea. We were pretty comfortable even though we were defending much deeper than I would like. I can't think of many clear chances for Chelsea before that. But when mistakes happen against this type of opposition, you get punished."
