“From my understanding, he was better than the Chelsea keepers – but this was before Mendy arrived at the club,"
"He was performing and training better than the Chelsea keepers."
Schwarzer also revealed that Petr Cech is kicking himself for retiring from professional football when he still had the legs to continue
“He just was saying that he felt so good. He said had he known that after having time off he would have felt so good, he would have only had six months off and wouldn’t have retired,"
"He actually believes he’s fit enough and strong enough and good enough still to play in the Premier League.
"I know he’s kicking the ball further than he did towards the end of his career, because the injuries he had, the problems he had with his ankle, his calf, they were hindering his kicking game.
"So apparently he has no problems with that at all anymore. He’s kicking the ball as far as he [ever] did.”
“Chelsea are the same as most English clubs, they're going to be aggressive, the speed of the game will be high. They're doing okay in the league, but they will want to come here and they will want to really try and dominate so it's going to be tough,"
"Obviously with the injuries we've got and things like that, but for me it's just we have to fight, we have to work hard, and try not to be intimidated by them in any way, so it's a lot to do with the mentality, as well as the physicality.
"[We have to be aware] of their technical ability, also the speed and power. They have a lot of players who can individually do something out of nothing. I think the key is if we work hard, if we're aggressive, we need to concentrate for 95-96 minutes.
"We can't switch off because you'll get punished by these sort of teams. So it's almost as much mental as it's physical for this game. Don't give them respect and allow them to play, we have to be aggressive and take the game to them."
“Lampard is Chelsea, he knows the club inside out and what needs to be done,"
"He will get the help of everyone there and I think so far that he has done a good job.
"Last season was a good achievement and it isn't an easy place to manage. The fans can demand a lot so it isn't easy, and he is doing his best.
"Football is full of ups and downs, you have to understand that. Get behind the team instead of not being happy after every bad result.
"The job is not easy so you have to be patient and push the team, then hopefully they will do well. They have added good players so they will have to deliver as a lot is expected now.
"The young players are doing well but I don't know if they could play in my old team! I am joking because I like the young players, with the likes of Mason Mount, but you need to raise your game at Chelsea constantly."
"I am very happy with Timo If you go back to the game before that, he scored two goals and Kai Havertz scores a goal. I am least worried about the front end of the pitch with the players that we have there.
"It is normal that it will take some time for relationships [to build]. For when we have got to put the ball in behind, the ball into feet, clearly these things are going to take time to build. The reason we brought Timo and Kai into the club is to add to the quality we already have here.
"Hakim Ziyech is looking like he is getting close to starting a game with his fitness. I have no worries about that. The last bit didn’t happen for us today. It is normal, that happens in football but I am very happy with the players."
Lampard admitted that his team are still working hard in finding the right balance between their offense and their defense after a change to their style of play in recent weeks.
“Where we have conceded more goals in certain games than we would have liked this season, it is important to address those problems You obviously address them at the back and I thought we defended the box very well today”
"Defending for me, at this level, is about concentration. Concentration is what will define defending in top players generally.
What you saw in Thiago Silva today is a defender who concentrates at every moment of the game in every minute, to not just affect things for himself but affects those around him. I think that was a big plus today.
"A good question, on the pitch I felt yes and I felt arms around my neck and shoulders,"
"The referee can make the decision, the VAR is there [to help]. In any situation, the referee takes the main decisions and the monitor is there for him to help.
"It was 50-50 so why not take 20 seconds to review it? I think VAR can improve a lot. It happens, it is football, I don't say every time there is contact there should be a penalty.
"In England, there is strong physical contact. In football and in the Premier League always we should seek improvement - it is not a criticism, we can all help together to make a better league."
“Two teams who played in Europe this week, I think it showed in the first half. It was not the greatest,"
"I think in the second half we pushed on. If that Stretford End is full we might get some help and get the ball over the line.
"We pegged them back and created some half-decent opportunities. There was a great block by Thiago Silva and the goalkeeper has made a couple of fantastic saves against Marcus.
"All in all, a good defensive performance and we created enough chances to give ourselves a win."
"His performance was very good. You rely on your goalkeepers in those moments in a tight game, not full of many chances,"
"Rashford's first chance was a mistake from us, the one at the end was a moment of quality from him. He showed us what he is there for.
"We brought him in for his quality. He showed great composure in the games he's played already and with the saves today in a tight you rely on them moments."
Lampard also thinks Maguire’s Challenge on Azpilicueta was a penalty all day long.
"It was a clear penalty. Clear penalty. I didn't see it from where I was standing at the time and I know it's a hard call for the referee on the pitch but that's why we brought VAR into the game,"
"VAR was very quick to dismiss it in my opinion. It should take time, the referee should watch the monitor. If he watches the monitor he has to give a penalty. It's very confusing in my opinion.
"Should referees consult monitor more frequently? I'm not sure. There's a frustration at the fact when something moves seemingly in the right direction, we're all pretty happy with referees going to the monitor.
"It happened a bit more at the start of the season. The players on the pitch should always say it and the referee should always take responsibility. We have that back to the referee with the monitor but for some reason we've come off that. I don't understand it.
"It was an easy decision, not a difficult one for the VAR to give anyway but the referee on the pitch should make the main call. Ask him to review it and if that happened today it would have been a penalty."
"For me, we created enough chances to win the game. It was a tight game against a good team, of course, but I think we deserved a bit more,"
"I think we had two or three big chances, especially with Rashy, but the keeper saves them. That is fine and, like I said before, we deserve a bit more.
"It was a tough game and now we need to look forward to the next game."
De gea also had positives to take from the game
"I think for us it is very important to start to keep clean sheets, especially at home," he said. "Today we defended really well and didn't concede many chances.
"We always try in every training session to improve, to make the team better defensively, work with each other, and talk to each other.
"It was important today to get a clean sheet against a top team like the one we played today. That's the way to keep going and the way to win games."
"We’re talking about Van de Beek, nothing against the kid, but why have we bought him? He’s watching the game from the stand every game. We don’t need him, that’s the truth.",
Neville meanwhile thinks the signing of Van de Beek has yet to be justified
"What is a little bit of a mystery is the use of Van de Beek since he’s been signed for £40 million,"
"He doesn’t seem to be at the forefront of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans in every game. It’s a bit of a mystery that one. And the more he doesn’t start, and the more he doesn’t come on, the more you’re thinking, 'Well £40m player, ordinarily you’d get him in the team'.
"He must be thinking: 'What am I doing here?' at this moment in time."
“I feel like we created the better chances.
"Their keeper made wonderful saves at times. I was right behind it [Rashford’s shot] and, like I said, their keeper was very good today. He made a couple of very good saves that kept them in the game.
“We defended much better than we have been, especially against a very good team like Chelsea who have high-quality players all around the pitch.
“I feel like they didn’t really create much, and we did well in that aspect - but higher up the pitch, we should have maybe grabbed a goal, or maybe even two, and taken the three points.”
“I think I want to try something different – I am leaning towards that. Maybe La Liga, Italy, something a little bit different that not many English players have done,"
“At the same time, I am probably going to take a week or two to decide. I was in this position when I left Arsenal and if I have learnt anything from that, it is to take your time and make sure it is right for you.
“Not that I have regrets that I went to West Ham because in my head things would have turned out differently. But this time I am going to take my time and find something that suits me.
“I just want to be happy playing football again. When I first signed for West Ham and the first three games when I started, before I picked up a little injury, that was probably the last time I could tell you I was happy playing football.
“I want to go back on the pitch with a smile on my face and play 20-30 games a season where I am an important player for a team.”
"In addition, the five matches per round not already selected will be made available to supporters on a pay-per-view basis, accessed via BT Sport Box Office and Sky Sports Box Office platforms.
"Clubs today agreed this interim solution to enable all fans to continue to watch their teams live.
"The Premier League has worked closely with Sky Sports and BT Sport to provide this arrangement and is grateful for their support. The agreement will be regularly reviewed in consultation with clubs and in line with any decisions made by government regarding the return of spectators to stadiums."
Arsenal have seen enough of Record Signing Nicolas Pepe and are prepared to sell him outrightly should a right offer come for him SOCCER PUN...
