Frank Lampard knows his side cannot afford any further slip-ups after being let off the hook by Leicester City and Manchester United.
A humbling 3-0 loss at Sheffield United looked to have dealt Chelsea a huge blow to their top-four hopes, only for their positional rivals to also drop points in the following days.
Norwich, who saw their relegation confirmed last time out, should not pose Chelsea much of a threat as Lampard looks for a reaction ahead of the weekend FA Cup semi-final.
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Daniel Farke's side may have been relegated with three games to go but the Norwich boss has no intention of letting their standards slip at Stamford Bridge. Photo: AP“I'd have preferred to play Chelsea in a more comfortable situation, they'll be highly motivated to earn their Champions League position," he told reporters.
"We don't want to win to upset Chelsea, but we want to make our fans proud. When we have a spotless day, we can even win points against a top side like Manchester City or Chelsea. If players don't reach their limit, we cannot win.
"We must reach this level against Chelsea. We want to prove when we're good in our topics we are able to win points.”
Gilmour operation a success
Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour will be disappointed to miss the rest of the season after becoming of few talents to break into the first team from the academy.
Photo: APThe 19-year-old had enjoyed a fruitful breakthrough season at Stamford Bridge, making 11 appearances in all competitions - including a man of the match display on his first Premier League start against Everton.
The Scottish midfielder has been forced to have knee surgery which could keep him out until October, but the future is certainly bright for the youngster, with Frank Lampard a big fan of the former Rangers trainee.
Ahead of the Norwich game tonight, James tells the club's website it is "one of the biggest games of the season":
"It is going to be massive. It is probably one of the biggest games of the season, They are obviously a little bit down at the moment, they have just been relegated, and we need to finish the season strongly and cement our top-four position.
"Going into every game we need to fight and everyone knows the ambition and what we want to achieve at the end of the season..
"Everyone is going to be putting in 110 per cent, everyone will do the best they can to get the results we need to finish in the top four."
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James: Rivals' slip-ups give us a boost
Reece James has admitted the Chelsea squad have been boosted by their rivals' failure to capitalise on their defeat to Sheffield United. Photo: AFPLeicester City missed the chance to go back into third after a heavy 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth, while Manchester United were denied by a late Michael Obafemi goal to draw 2-2 with Southampton.
Those results mean Chelsea remain a point ahead of Leicester, with United only fifth on goal difference, and the 20-year-old revealed the squad were lifted by the news.
‘"That was a little boost for us going into this game against Norwich," the youngster told the club's official website.
"After losing 3-0 [to Sheffield United], no one is going to be happy. It was a chance to take a step closer to finishing in the top four and we weren’t able to do it.
"As you saw in the game, Sheffield United was a very well-structured team and they know what to do and when to do it. I have to say they were very good on the day and were hard to break down. We need to bounce back from such a difficult game and go again against Norwich.’
Lampard calls for reaction after Sheff Utd defeat
Frank Lampard has called on Chelsea’s big-name players to show a positive reaction as they bid to bounce back from their setback against Sheffield United and tighten their grip on a Champions League spot, writes Giuseppe Muro. Photo: ReutersLampard was furious after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane and wants a swift turnaround when already-relegated Norwich visit Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Chelsea cannot afford another slip up after Manchester City’s successful appeal against their European ban means fifth place will no longer gain entry to the Champions League next season.
“The important thing is how we react,” said Lampard. “We have big personalities in the team and they need to stand up and show the qualities they have done for big parts of the season. It is important we do, because we are at the business end.
“I do expect a reaction from the players. We are at a critical stage of the season. We know we have the capabilities in the squad and that is the reason it has got us into third position. Now we need to try to finish the job.”
Form since the restart
Chelsea were one of the form sides in the Premier League following the restart of the season after the coronavirus pandemic, picking up four wins out of five.
But a dismal performance from the Blues in their 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United sent them crashing back down to earth and concerns arose over whether they would qualify for the Champions League.
Fortunately, Leicester and Manchester Untied failed to capitalise and playing at home - Chelsea have won their last four games at Stamford Bridge - against already relegated Norwich could give them the perfect opportunity to put the ship back on course.
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How we expect Chelsea to line up this evening...
CHELSEA NEWS
Team news
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is hopeful N'Golo Kante will recover from his hamstring injury in time for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United but will not face Norwich City tonight.
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Kante has missed Chelsea’s last two games and he has been ruled out of Tuesday’s home game.
“He is not fit for Norwich,” said Lampard. “But he has a chance for the semi-final.”
Without Kante, Chelsea’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification suffered a blow when they lost 3-0 at Sheffield United on Saturday.
Defender Andreas Christensen was forced off with an injury against Sheffield United but he is fit to face Norwich.
Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Norwich City.
Despite losing to Sheffield United last time out, the Blues were let off the hook by Leicester City and Manchester United on Sunday and Monday meaning they kick off gameweek 36 still in third
