Frank Lampard gives his verdict on Newcastle United

The club lost at St James’s Park last season to a 94th-minute strike from Isaac Hayden – and Frank Lampard was wary of Newcastle United ahead of yesterday’s game.

Lampard had also had many more players away on international duty that Steve Bruce.

Unambitious Newcastle, however, offered limited resistance, and Chelsea won 2-0 thanks to an own goal from Federico Fernandez and a strike from Tammy Abraham.

“Post-international break games are challenging,” said Lampard. “It’s important to get the lads back together again and focused. We showed that in our preparations and our performance.

"It’s a difficult game on paper to come here and play against a team we lost against last year whilst dominating possession. We dominated possession and scored our goals. We could’ve scored more, and kept a clean sheet. We’re very happy with that.”

United, trailing to Fernandez's early own goal, were better after the break, but without leading scorer Callum Wilson, they couldn’t take their chances, and Abraham’s 65th-minute goal made certain of the win.

Asked if his team should have scored more goals, Lampard said: “We created some nice chances against a Newcastle team who don’t give you big chances, because they defend resolutely around their box.

"We opened them up enough times to maybe have scored two or three, and at half time we would have been much more comfortable. I was aware they were still in the game. I thought they came out a bit more positive in the second half as well, and we had to make sure that second one came."

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