Chelsea meltdown: Frank Lampard blames growing pains

Chelsea FC manager Frank Lampard is facing a lot of pressure after his side was defeated 3-1 by Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

The former Chelsea player turned coach says that the club is expected to go through "periods of pain." After a promising start of his career as Chelsea manager, Lampard is currently facing the heat since the club has been able to secure only four points in their last six Premier League matches.

Expectations were high after the club spent over £200m during the summer to sign the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy. However, despite a stellar cast, they now find themselves only in eight place in the Premier League table. They will potentially drop lower since most of the teams have a game in hand against them.

"Any rebuild takes pain - pain behind the scenes and on the pitch. This is a difficult period and I understand the reasons why. When you look around the team there is a lot of youth, a lot of new players who are trying to come in and settle," said Lampard, as quoted by the BBC.

Chelsea's season took a drastic turn early in December. They were challenging for the top of the table before losing to Everton on December 12. They have since won only one match.

Lampard admits that he feels the pressure and that he knows that his job is always on the line as Chelsea manager. The club is notorious for being unforgiving when it comes to the performances of its managers.

"I'll always feel the heat. I felt the heat when we were on our good run, because I know that round the corner can be a negative," he said.

However, he said that he will not allow the pressure to become a distraction. His job will be at the hands of the board of directors, and he will just have to focus on what's happening on the pitch.

Chelsea will be facing Morecambe in the FA Cup on Sunday before returning to Premier League action against Fulham a week later.