"They are fantastic and growing all the time" - Frank Lampard gives honest verdict on comparison between 2 Arsenal stars and iconic Chelsea duo
Frank Lampard has shut down comparisons between Arsenal duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, and iconic former Chelsea duo John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.
Saliba and Magalhaes have forged a stalwart center-back partnership under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners were excellent defensively in the Premier League last season, conceding the least number of goals (29) in the English top-flight.
Given their defensive prowess, the Arsenal duo have naturally attracted comparisons to former Premier League center-back partnerships, including Terry and Carvalho.
The Chelsea pair were at the peak of their abilities under Jose Mourinho, conceding just 15 goals in the Premier League during the 2004-05 season. During Amazon Prime's pregame coverage of Arsenal's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Lampard was asked whether Saliba and Gabriel could be compared to Terry and Carvalho.
He replied (via the Daily Mail):
"No. Not yet. If they go and win two or three Premier Leagues and a Champions League, then maybe you can compare them. I'm not putting them down. They are fantastic and growing all the time. It's not fair to make that comparison because this is all ahead of them."
The former Chelsea midfielder added:
"But at this point, no. But what they're doing at the minute is great things. But yeah, win some stuff, boys, and you can get in that conversation."
The Blues will next face Gent in the Conference League on Thursday (October 3) while Arsenal take on Southampton at the weekend (October 5).
Frank Lampard explains what didn't work for Arsenal star Kai Havertz at Chelsea
Frank Lampard believes Kai Havertz struggled to find his best position during his time at Stamford Bridge. He believes the German attacker has the potential to excel in the Premier League.
The Blues signed Havertz for a reported £75 million fee during Frank Lampard's tenure. The German went on to play a crucial role in their Champions League triumph in 2021, scoring the winning goal in the final against Manchester City.
He then made his switch to north London last summer after struggling towards the end of his time at Stamford Bridge. Despite an initial tough start to life at Arsenal, Havertz managed to rediscover some of his best form and rack up 14 goals across competitions last season.
Speaking about Havertz's time with the west Londoners, Lampard said (via Chelsea News):
“Trust me he’s a talented boy he just needs to work the Premier League and find his way. I think when he came to Chelsea it wasn’t quite clear. He was a very talented player, his position wasn’t quite clear. He’d been a No 8 more of a midfield player, he’d been a No. 9 and we never got to the end of his story at the Chelsea. What was his best position?”