Ranking how each Chelsea player progressed/regressed under Lampard

Having guided Chelsea to the Champions League last season, with the club having spent heavily in the previous transfer window, the Blues board have called time on Frank Lampard's reign at Stamford Bridge with the club in ninth.

Many had Chelsea down as their favourites to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the title ahead of the campaign, but as it stands the club fear missing out on the top six, let alone top four.

That after the team went 17 matches unbeaten at the start of the season, with a comfortable 3-1 win over Leeds seeing many back the Blues for a title bid. Indeed, in a season where Liverpool have dropped off dramatically and Manchester City endured a difficult start to the campaign, the Chelsea board will view this season as an opportunity missed.

The new signings looked to have settled in nicely early on but it's all gone pear-shaped, with Kai Havertz and Timo Werner facing the brunt of the criticism among the playing squad. Getting the best from the German duo is seen as a priority and simply put, Lampard wasn't doing it. Not by a long stretch.

Instead, the players that did stand out for the Chelsea legend were primarily those from the academy, with much made of Lampard's ability to work with young players.

Here we rank every Chelsea player to have made at least ten starts for the club this season based on how far they have either progressed or regressed from last season using our statistical ratings, with the leaderboard and 'lowerboard' both telling.

1. Mason Mount: 2020/21 rating - 7.29 (up .48)

Lampard's golden boy had been a figure of some unfair ridicule last season and at the beginning of this but if the England international does have something of a 'teacher's pet' reputation he's proven it is for good reason. The midfielder has enjoyed an excellent individual campaign, adapting his game to flourish in a midfield three, averaging 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game combined up from 1.4 in the league last season and seeing his key pass numbers almost double.

2. Kurt Zouma: 2020/21 rating - 7.20 (up .22)

It wasn't entirely clear who would be Frank Lampard's first choice defender alongside Thiago Silva this season but Kurt Zouma certainly made the place his own ahead of the New Year. The Frenchman looked more composed alongside the veteran and chipped in with four goals before a wobble against Arsenal and Manchester City saw the 26-year-old somewhat surprisingly lose his place.

3. Tammy Abraham: 2020/21 rating - 7.04 (up .21)

Timo Werner's arrival at Stamford Bridge looked like it might spell trouble for Tammy Abraham but the German's struggles have seen the academy graduate involved more regularly than many might have expected. He's taken his chances well in general when he has started, scoring 11 goals in 14 starts for the club. Yet to agree a new deal at the club over concerns of a lack of playing time, it will be interesting to see how Lampard's successor sees Abraham's future at the club.

4. Reece James: 2020/21 rating - 7.14 (up .17)

The final player here to have seen his rating improve this season compared to last, it's telling that Reece James is the third Chelsea academy graduate of the four. The right-back has emerged as first choice more often than not ahead of club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and warranted that status in the most part, offering more of an attacking outlet from the back without reliquishing his defensive duties.

5. Ben Chilwell: 2020/21 rating - 6.99 (up .03)

While he too has struggled somewhat as the pressure has mounted over this difficult run, Chilwell has arguably been the biggest success story of Chelsea's new signings thus far. Like many of his teammates he started the season in fine fashion, particularly from an attacking standpoint, but has underwhelmed a little of late. However, with two goals and four assists to his name in the league alone, the Blues' left-back problem is no longer, well, a problem.

6. Thiago Silva: 2020/21 rating - 6.98 (down .02)

A negligible drop off in rating from his final season with PSG, if there were any concerns how a 35-year-old Thiago Silva would adapt to the Premier League they were put to bed - at least, that is, after a nightmare debut. The Brazilian has been typically dependable and taken the armband for the much of the campaign.

7. Jorginho: 2020/21 rating - 6.81 (down .05)

While the Italy international may have seen his playing time limited in the league this season, he was ever present in the Champions League, with Lampard's concerns regarding a lack of pace in England's top-flight. Nevertheless, Jorginho has rarely disappointed, ending up on the losing side when starting just once this season, way back in September against Liverpool.

8. Cesar Azpilicueta: 2020/21 rating - 7.00 (down .05)

At 31, Azpilicueta is probably younger than many might expect having been a stalwart at Chelsea for some time. The Spaniard will understandably still feel he has plenty to offer but must convince the new boss that he should regain his place at right-back ahead of the aforementioned James. There certainly hasn't been a substantial drop off in his performance levels this season, so if he can't do just that the full-back may seek more regular action elsewhere before long.

9. N'Golo Kante: 2020/21 rating - 6.86 (down .07)

After a strong start to the season, playing an important role in Chelsea's impressive unbeaten run, Kante's form has dipped significantly since, with fatigue perhaps playing a part in a thigh injury sustained earlier in the year. Nevertheless, it's fair to say Lampard has never really got the best out of the Frenchman for a sustained period, even if injuries have played a part in that.

10. Edouard Mendy: 2020/21 rating - 6.67 (down .09)

Another player who impressed early in the campaign, admittedly without being called into action with any real regularity, Mendy is another who has looked less assured as the season has gone on. Having kept six consecutive clean sheets early into his time at the club, the Senegal international has been unconvincing since an error in the win over Leeds that preceded Chelsea's stark drop off in form.

11. Mateo Kovacic: 2020/21 rating - 6.67 (down .23)

Arguably the one player that made the most progress under Frank Lampard in his first season in charge, named as the club's player of the season for 2019/20, what has transpired this season has been thoroughly disappointing. Despite being a bright spark for much of last season, Kovacic has often been the man ousted from the midfield since the arrival of Kai Havertz and has found form somewhat understandably hard to come by having not started more than three league games in a row.

12. Kai Havertz: 2020/21 rating - 6.90 (down .29)

He may not foot the pile here but it's difficult to make a case for Havertz not having been the most disappointing Chelsea performer of the season, as far as expectations are concerned at least. The club record signing hasn't had it easy, it should be said, contracting coronavirus along with a couple of niggling injuries, but in no point in the league before or after said issues has he convinced. In fact, his vastly improved form in cup competitions, both home and abroad, have only really highlighted his failure to adapt to the pace of the Premier League.

13. Christian Pulisic: 2020/21 rating - 6.82 (down .39)

Like Kovacic, Pulisic was one of the real success stories of last season, particularly post-lockdown, so when he injured himself in scoring in the FA Cup final last year, it was a real blow for Chelsea. Lampard would no doubt point to that injury and the American's struggle to get back up to speed as the reason for his lack of output this time around, but two goals and not a single assist in 17 appearances is undeniably poor.

14. Timo Werner: 2020/21 rating - 6.86 (down .65)

Things were looking relatively rosy early in Timo Werner's Chelsea career, even if he hadn't looked as prolific as he did in the Bundesliga. That was to be expected after all, so a return of eight goals from his first 12 appearances for the club in all competitions was certainly respectable. It's the 16 games that have followed that have been a massive disappointment, scoring just once against League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup third round. He missed a penalty in the next round against Luton last time out, and it's fair to say Lampard's replacement will have to pick Werner's confidence off the floor.

15. Hakim Ziyech: 2020/21 rating - 6.94 (down .89)

There's undoubtedly an Eredivisie tax that needs to be considered as far as Ziyech is concerned, posting outrageous stats year-after-year in the Dutch top-flight. That was never likely to fully translate into English football, but the Moroccan has been hampered by fitness issues all season since picking up the first of a string of injuries in ahead of the campaign. He looked really bright ahead of the last international break back in November but rather than goals and assists of late, his appearances have been marked by bookings, with four in his last ten appearances, and just one assist in that time - again against Morecambe...