Lampard: Aubameyang has impressed in training

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Frank Lampard has insisted that Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang deserved to start for Chelsea against his former club Arsenal after impressing in training.

Interim Blues boss Lampard made two changes for the game at the Emirates Stadium, with Aubameyang and Noni Madueke coming in for Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah.


Lampard told Sky Sports: “It would be way too simplistic to say Auba starts purely because it’s his former club.

“Of course that might provide a little extra motivation, but from what I’ve seen from him in training in the past few days he has been really impressive.

“He’s been training well and is fresh and fit. We want to score more goals and he gives us a reference point up front.

“We has a history of scoring goals – certainly here (at Arsenal) – and it’s his job to do it for us tonight.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made three changes, dropping Rob Holding, Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey in favour of Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and ex-Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.

Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Partey, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Nketiah, Holding, Vieira, Nelson.

Chelsea: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Fofana, Silva, Chilwell, Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic, Madueke, Sterling, Aubameyang.
Subs: Mendy, Badiashile, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Mudryk, Ziyech, Gallagher, Havertz.