Frank Lampard has told Christian Pulisic his ‘chances will come’ after deciding to start Mason Mount in Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues slipped to a 2-1 defeat on Sunday as Liverpool moved five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.
First-half goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino put Liverpool in control but Chelsea threatened to mount a comeback when N’Golo Kante halved the deficit after the break.
Lampard’s side were unable to find an equaliser, however, and summer addition Pulisic remained on the bench for the entirety of the match.
It was the third straight game that Pulisic had found himself on the bench and Lampard said: ‘I have a squad to pick from, I decided to go with Mason today.
‘These are my choices to make. Christian is a young player as well. His chances will come. There are people on the bench.’
On Chelsea’s performance in the narrow 2-1 loss, Lampard added: ‘Performance-wise we were the better team.
‘We had more energy in our game, character and spirit. That’s why the crowd applauded at the end. Let’s take this forward.’
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Premier League action, Pulisic – who completed a £64m move to Chelsea over the summer – vowed to ‘show everyone’ what he is capable of following an indifferent start to his Blues career.
Asked about the suggestion he was signed as a direct replacement for new Real Madrid star Eden Hazard, Pulisic said: ‘I have heard people say that. But it is not how I look at it.
‘It should not be how anyone does because Hazard was a club legend and he did amazing things here and he is an unbelievable player, but I am coming here as a known player and I am going to show everyone what I can do and play the best I can, for myself and for the club, and that is all I can do.
‘It is a very physical league as people say here. The games have been very intense, every game has presented its own challenge, every team is different.
‘The Bundesliga was also a brilliant league. I can’t say it wasn’t because they are all good teams and every game was tough, but there a few differences but nothing major that I am not used to.
‘London is amazing, it is quite a big city. Dortmund wasn’t the biggest city but a nice city but I am really happy to be here and I am definitely enjoying that side of things.
‘The American culture is a lot different than really anywhere in Europe, the food you can get, the people, everything was a bit different.
‘Going to Germany was a big shock for me but definitely coming here is a lot more similar to how it is in the US. Obviously not the same but a lot more similar.’
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