Chelsea boss Frank Lampard believes that new man Thiago Silva can make the difference, as the Blues set their sights on silverware this season.

The 91 cap Brazil international joined the club on a free transfer this summer, having previously spent the last nine years at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in which he won seven league titles and helped reach the Champions League final at the end of last season.

The 36-year-old had a rude awakening in the Premier League with a shaky performance in the 3-3 draw with West Bromwich Albion on 26 September, yet has since looked mightily impressive at the heart of the Blues defence, putting in a particularly strong display against rivals Manchester United a few weeks ago.

Lampard’s side are now on a run of five successive clean sheets in all competitions, with Silva – and fellow summer arrival Edouard Mendy – adding some much needed defensive stability to a side that had shipped goals far too easily over the past year or so.

With Hakim Ziyech now pulling the strings in attack alongside the likes of Timo Werner, and with Silva now marshalling the defence, Chelsea are beginning to look a real force to be reckoned with after a somewhat underwhelming opening to the season.

The Blues now find themselves seventh in the table and are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches, while they’ve also made a strong start in the Champions League after picking up seven points from their opening three fixtures.

Such form has only heightened the expectations regarding silverware for Lampard’s side, and the former England international believes that Silva can be the man to push his side towards trophies this season.

‘In terms of his career, he absolutely walks into that bracket of top centre backs, However, this seems like a gamble at the casino, quite risky for his career.” Lampard told a press conference ahead of today’s home clash with Sheffield United.

‘I keep talking about the impact he is having, and he can be a big deal for us, but we need more.

‘We are talking about teams that have won things and we are striving for that.’