Chelsea prove worth and Leeds United must learn but no shame in Stamford Bridge defeat - Graham Smyth's Verdict

Frank Lampard has got what Chelsea paid for, an abundance of very good footballers whose ability should take the shame out of any Stamford Bridge defeat.

Leeds United can make no noise about level playing fields or levels of expenditure because not so long ago they were one of the bigger fish in a Championship pond containing relative small fry.

Not everyone could go out and buy a Patrick Bamford or a Helder Costa, or afford the wages of a Kiko Casilla.

The Whites also proved, by finishing top of the pile without spending the most on wages, that cash does not guarantee a prize, so pointing to Chelsea's £200m-plus summer spend in the wake a 3-1 defeat would ring somewhat churlish.

Instead, Marcelo Bielsa talked of the difficulty of defending against such a quality attack and his own side's failure to press the Blues effectively.

Chelsea were very good, fully deserving of their win and Leeds, in an ideal world, would have given themselves a better chance by taking better decisions in possession.

But as CEO Angus Kinnear recognised in midweek when discussing the return of fans to Tier 2 stadiums and the continued absence of Leeds fans from Elland Road, this is not an ideal world.

Lampard and Bielsa, whose relationship has been a little complicated since early 2019, found common ground in a less than ideal first half.

It cannot have pleased Lampard to see his team unlocked so easily and so early, Kalvin Phillips' perfect swing of his left boot putting Bamford clean through against his former club, the striker rounding Edouard Mendy to score a fourth minute opener.

In his pre-game press conference Bielsa had revealed that Diego Llorente was now healthy, but not quite yet competitively fit and expressed a hope that circumstance would not rush the Spaniard back into action.

Before the 10 minute mark that hope had been dashed, the increasingly influential figure of Robin Koch going down with injury, Llorente coming on for a full immersion baptism in lava.

Every team in the Premier League presents a level of difficulty for the Leeds defence, whether it's the pace and counter attacking excellence of Leicester City and Crystal Palace or the movement and sheer skill of Liverpool and Manchester City.

Chelsea seemed to have it all. This fixture was once about how you could hurt your opponent with brute force, but the modern day Blues need only the football and a little room to work with. They break with intent, they cause problems with set-pieces and they press to pin you in.

Illan Meslier had already made a stop from Hakim Ziyech and Olivier Giroud had headed the resulting corner wide, before Bamford's opener.

Another corner should have brought the scores level, Giroud's goalbound header inexplicably clipped up and onto the crossbar by Timo Werner.

Leeds carried a threat themselves, down the flanks chiefly, Raphinha the likliest source of a second goal as he showed a desire to get at defenders and an ability to deliver passes and crosses. Jack Harrison, who struggled to produce deliveres from the other flank, was the recipient of one Raphinha cut back and failed to make contact.

Mateusz Klich's cut back from the left was sent over the top by Bamford.

Gjanni Alioski struck the post, although Luke Ayling was flagged offside in the build up.

Leeds had to work hard to create those chances but when they were undone at the other end, Chelsea made it look all too easy.

Kai Havertz freed himself of Phillips' attention, fed Ziyech and his trademark dart to the middle dragged Alioski with him, leaving acres of space for Reece James to whip in a low cross, Giroud steering it past Meslier.

Chelsea began to make it harder and harder for Leeds to play out from the back, forcing errors including one dangerous giveaway from Llorente straight to the feet of Christian Pulisic, on for the injured Ziyech.

If it was an arm wrestle, Leeds were beginning to shake and Chelsea looked ominously composed.

They eased themselves further into control in the second half, thanks chiefly to the presence of so many players comfortable in receiving the ball under pressure and playing out of it.

Pulisic's close control allowed him to turn the corner to find space in behind his marker, Havertz' speed took him away from burgundy shirts and N'Golo Kante's all round brilliance made

Stuart Dallas, Klich and Phillips look a little lost in midfield and handed control to Lampard's men.

Leeds struggled to play out and went direct, a long ball and a neat first touch from Harrison leading to a corner from which Raphinha had two shooting chances, the first blocked and the second over.

But a lot of the time the long balls were not accurate and when they did try to pass it through the thirds they let themselves down with sloppy passes or heavy touches that encouraged Chelsea to storm forward.

Isolating Alioski worked again, this time for Werner who produced a double save from Meslier and a block that handed Chelsea another corner.

For all their attacking skill and attractive forward play, it was a set-piece that pushed Chelsea closer to victory.

Kurt Zouma headed home with little or nothing in the way of opposition to make it 2-1.

The introduction of Rodrigo did give Leeds more of a presence in attacking midfield, meaning they could at least begin to build attacks but there was always the risk that the Blue tide would simply roll over them in transition.

Kante came into his own in that regard and there was a let off for Leeds when the hosts exploited space left behind by a Leeds attack and Werner got in again at the back post, Meslier making yet another huge stop.

It would not have been a trip to London without the obligatory controversy and there was indeed a moment when it all could have changed - Ian Poveda drawing contact from Ben Chilwell in the area but refusing to throw himself to the ground, instead cutting to the middle to have a shot that Mendy saved well.

The debate over whether or not honesty should be punished is for another day, however because Chelsea deserved this win and wrapped it up in injury time through Pulisic, from a low Werner cross.

"Always defeats are an opportunity to learn something," said Bielsa.

A learning experience, a chastening evening but not a shameful one.