Ibrahim Oladamola
Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard says there is still enough “jeopardy” moments for Arsenal to get back in front in the Premier League title race, as he prepares to take his team to the Emirates Stadium.
Lampard knows the ins and outs of a Premier League title race having won the competition three times as a player and says Arsenal are still in the hunt.
“It could be either way,” said Lampard. “They [Arsenal] are very much in the hunt still to win the Premier League. They are a fantastic team, and they are having a great season.
“If they’re wounded slightly, they could have a big reaction. If we can make things difficult for them, then that could of course be different. It’s a hard one to call.”
When asked if Arsenal are still in the title race, he added: “Of course, there are enough games left for the element of jeopardy still to be there at the top of the table and the bottom.
“There are fully in it. Manchester City have shown some incredible form and we fully respect that, but we also have to respect what Arsenal have done this year. They will still believe they are in it and rightly so.”
Lampard also insists Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is “fit and ready” to face his former club on Tuesday night.
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The striker, who has played just 190 minutes of football for Chelsea since the turn of the year, has been a bit part player for the Blues, but as the club’s only recognised striker there have been calls for him to return to lead the line in a bid to end their struggles in front of goal.
Chelsea scored just one goal in April in seven matches, and asked if Aubameyang, who scored 68 Premier League goals in five season with the Gunners, could face his former side, Lampard didn’t rule it out.
He said: “We’ll see. I’ve got Auba, got Kai, got David Fofana. I’m not going to divulge the team right here, but Aubameyang is fit and ready.”
When asked if Aubameyang’s Arsenal connection comes into his thoughts for selection, Lampard added: “Possibly because we do think that a player going back to his old club can give a certain motivation.
“I haven’t delved too much into that with Auba but I will pick that position on my feeling of how the players have trained and what the team structure looks like.
