Frank Lampard suffers first defeat as Chelsea boss, here's what happened

Frank Lampard faced his first defeat as the manager of Premier League club Chelsea after the side went down by a goal to Kawasaki Frontale in Japan on 20 July. The 48-year-old, who took charge as the coach for Chelsea on 4 July 2019, tasted his first loss for the side after a header from former Brazil striker Leandro Damaino in the 88th minute saw the side lose the game to the Frontale by 1-0. 

This was Lampard's third game as coach for the Premier League side and had tasted success in the two previous outings against  Bohemians and St Patrick's Athletic in Ireland. Chelsea headed to Japan for the J.League World Challenge, preparing themselves for the upcoming edition of the Premier League scheduled to begin from next month. 

The humid conditions in Yokahoma hindered the performance of Lampard's side as they struggled to make opportunities for themselves through the game. Spanish forward Pedro failed to make a mark despite having two close chances to create an opening for his side. Mason Mount's attempt to score a goal missed the target as the ball was shot wide of the goal. 

A frustrated Lampard had made five changes to his side after the interval. 

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Lampard said that he was very pleased with how the players had performed physically in very humid conditions. He added that there were some good individual performances and even though the finishing let them down, it would improve with time.

Kawasaki Frontale goalkeeper Shota Arai kept Chelsea at the bay without letting them put the ball past him into the nets. The keeper made breathtaking saves on multiple occasions including a shot from Oliver Giroud. Chelsea will next face Spanish giants Barcelona in Saitama on Tuesday, in run-up to Lampard's first Premier League game against Manchester United on August 11. 

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