Tammy Abraham has revealed Frank Lampard told the Chelsea squad at half-time that ‘they don’t look like a team willing to go out in the second half’ and urged them to ‘lift each other’, before coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with West Bromich Albion.
It was a nightmare start to the game for the Blues, shipping three sloppy goals within 27 minutes.
Marcos Alonso headed the ball straight to the opposition, who worked it to Callum Robinson to dispatch an excellent left-footed strike into the back of Willy Caballero’s net.
Robinson then grabbed his second, capitalising on Premier League debutant Thiago Silva stumbling on the ball, before Kyle Bartley made it 3-0, converting after a flick-on from a corner.
Lampard rung the changes at half-time, taking off Mateo Kovacic for Calum Hudson-Odoi and Alonso for Cesar Azpilicueta.
Mason Mount netted after 55 minutes to begin the comeback, with substitute Hudson-Odoi grabbing the second, and Tammy Abraham netting the equaliser in stoppage time.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, England international Abraham revealed the team’s heads had dropped and boss Lampard managed to lift their spirits, resulting in an improved second-half performance.
‘We all went in and our heads were down and he had to lift us up,’ Abraham remarked. ‘He said we don’t look like a team willing to go out in the second half and as a team, we have to lift each other.’
‘Thankfully Mason [Mount] got the goal which meant we could believe. I knew we’d get chances but to come back from 3-0 is never easy. The boys deserve credit, they kept going.’
‘The only problem is when you’re two or three down West Brom are going to really, seriously protect the lead which means dropping back, which means frustrating moments and staying patient, and we did that to a big degree.’
