Blues boss admits results come over style in Champions League qualification chase

Frank Lampard admitted Chelsea were not at their best in Tuesday’s 1-0 home win over Norwich City – but insisted results are all that matters in the race for Champions League qualification.

Olivier Giroud’s 11th goal of the season in first-half stoppage time saw the third-placed Blues open up breathing space before Leicester and Manchester United play tonight.

“Where we are at as a team and where we are in the table, it is all about the result,” said Lampard.

“We need to move the ball quicker and be more mobile with our rotations. We have done it in parts this season but if we want to move on, it needs to be better. But I don’t want to be too critical after a win.

“At this stage of the season results are critical and we didn’t concede any chances of note to let them score.

“He [Giroud] is always going to give you a desire to get in there for the team. He had a few half-chances in the central area. That is what you have to do when he is in the team – use his attributes.

“He has scored important goals. He has never given me a problem, always trained well. His professionalism is always good.

“We had 10 or 15 minutes mid-way through the second half where we got sloppy again and we got slow and passed back on ourselves. It’s a trait that we have that comes back in our game, but we got out of that and we finished it well.

“It is a tough one to call [on the top four]. This is the Premier League and it is not easy. Rather than give you a pointless answer, we take our three points, worry about ourselves, watch the others teams and think about the FA Cup.”

Chelsea face Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-final.

Arsenal take on Manchester City in the other tie, with the final scheduled for August 1.