Frank Lampard will be relieved Tammy Abraham is repaying the faith that he has put in him in the early part of the season.
After a difficult first three games, where he failed to find the net and missed the crucial penalty in the UEFA Super Cup final shootout against Liverpool, the 21-year-old has scored a brace in both of his last two appearances.
The latest double came in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, his goals put the Blues 2-0 up going into the half-time break.
There has been much debate over who should be chosen as the main striker in Lampard’s team this season. Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi are the primary competition for the spot, but Abraham has been given the nod in three of the four Premier League games.
Now, there is a stat that proves that Lampard was right in keeping faith in the young striker.
Abraham’s brace took him to four league goals for Chelsea, just one short of the five Premier League goals that Olivier Giroud has scored.
Giroud has scored his goals in 43 appearances compared to just the six that Abraham has made.
Tammy Abraham is only one league goal away from Oliver Giroud at Chelsea. Giroud has made 43 league appearances, Tammy is making his 6th today
— CarefreeYouth (@CarefreeYouth) August 31, 2019
The young striker is also just one goal off the total of five that he scored during a Premier League loan spell at Swansea City in 2017/18, where he scored the goals in 31 league appearances.
It does beg the question if any tangible substance is to be made of Abraham’s goals considering he only scored against newly promoted opponents and struggled against Manchester United.
That answer will become further clear after the international break as Chelsea take on Wolves at the Molineux stadium.
For all of Giroud’s inconsistency, his experience will come in handy a number of times and his superb aerial presence will also offer Lampard a different approach on a day where defences are hard to break.
The Frenchman still has a role to play in Chelsea’s season but at the moment he has to play second fiddle to the 21-year-old striker.
Abraham will be able to draw level with Giroud when Chelsea travel to Wolves after the international break.
