Resilient Luton face a trip to Stamford Bridge as pressure continues to build on Frank Lampard

Having picked up just seven points from their last eight Premier League matches, Frank Lampard’s future as Chelsea manager is hanging in the balance.

The Blues have suffered losses to Everton, Wolves, Arsenal, Manchester City and Leicester since the start of December, dropping all the way down to eighth in the table. The likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech have struggled to adapt to English football, and questions are being asked about the club’s summer recruitment, which saw them spend over £200 million.

Lampard’s side seem a million miles off of Champions League qualification as we approach the halfway point of the campaign, and many Chelsea fans are calling for a managerial change before a top four finish becomes out of reach.

Perhaps one way of Lampard saving his job is by winning silverware this season, and by far the most achievable way of doing so would be in the FA Cup. The Chelsea boss sent out a full-strength side against League Two side Morecambe in the last round, running out 4-0 winners and sending out a message that they’d be taking the competition incredibly seriously.

The eight-time winners now face Championship side Luton in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Nathan Jones’ side sit 13th in the table, nine points off the playoffs. This is a major improvement for a side that took until the final day of last season to avoid relegation back down to the third tier.

Jones lead the Hatters to promotion from League Two in 2018, and even helped them reach the summit of League One the following season before leaving to manage Championship side Stoke City. His disastrous spell at the Bet365 Stadium saw him sacked in November 2019, returning to Luton in May 2020 to save them from relegation.

The Hatters boss stuck religiously to a 4-4-2 diamond formation in his first spell at Kenilworth Road, but has since shifted to a 4-1-4-1 system to exploit the wider areas and implement added protection for the fullbacks. As a result, Luton have become a much harder team to break down while looking much more dangerous in attack.

Of course, they still have the occasional blip, such as recent losses to QPR and Reading (although they beat the Royals to qualify for the fourth round of the FA Cup), but they look much more like a Championship side than they did last season. They recently claimed the scalp of 10-man Bournemouth, handing the Cherries just their second home defeat of the season.

This gives Jones a dilemma – do they really believe that they can go on a cup run? With Chelsea’s current form, there’s no ruling out that Luton could pick up a shock result, that’s for sure. But the Hatters are still within reach of a playoff spot, and a strong run of form could see them bridge the gap on those above them.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been crucial for the Bedfordshire side so far this campaign, slotting in on the left side of the midfield trio. The Leicester loanee plays an instrumental role in helping the Hatters keep their shape, which will be crucial on Sunday where they’ll spend the vast majority of the match out of possession and under pressure.

Chelsea will undoubtedly be fielding another full-strength lineup as Lampard looks to prove his critics wrong. A shock elimination at Stamford Bridge on Sunday could be the final straw for the England legend, but a trophy in his first full season could see him keep his job going into next season and ease the blow of their shocking league form.

A win against the Hatters will see them face Championship opposition in the next round too, either against league leaders Norwich or playoff chasing Barnsley.

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