Frank Lampard had faith that Michy Batshuayi would drive home the winner against Ajax on Wednesday.
The Belgian missed a clear-cut chance before scoring the winner for Chelsea late into the Champions League fixture at Amsterdam.
Both teams were held to a stalemate till the 86th minute when both of Lampard’s substitutes, Christian Pulisic and Batshuayi combined to dish out pain on the hosts.
“The subs were second to none,” Frank Lampard said after the 0-1 win. “Sometimes the hardest thing is leaving someone out. But it’s great for the spirit of the squad when subs come on and have an impact like that.
“I was frustrated when Michy missed, and whatever had happened after that I would have been proud, but I know Michy can finish. Christian’s assist is as important as the finish, and the fact the sub scored makes me so happy.”
“I’m delighted with every element of the performance,” said the Blues boss. “It feels huge – it’s just six points in the group and we play Burnley on Saturday. But I think we’re allowed to be excited tonight.
“That’s the blueprint. There are no excuses for us now. That’s the standard and we can’t drop it. The young players are still babies in terms of Champions League minutes so this was a huge test for them.
“There was a good balance of young players and experience. We need to realise the things that made that happened tonight because Ajax are a top, top team.”
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