Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard believes that Jose Mourinho's return has helped drive competition for places to a new level at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho's second spell in West London began with a 2-0 win over Hull City last weekend, in a match which saw Lampard miss a penalty before scoring from range.
Lampard believes that the Portuguese coach has got a crop of exciting youngsters working hard to earn his approval, likening his return to the arrival of a new teacher on the first day of school.
He told The Mirror: "We have a new manager and he is very demanding. We are very aware of how he is and it's like having a new teacher at school, that can only be a good thing when you have 22 players all wanting to play in the team.
"There has been a lift. We have had a great pre-season. The young players have reacted to the manager. We can't ask for more than that and we were raring to go from the first whistle.
"What matters now is we have to face an Aston Villa team this week that has just beaten Arsenal, so we can't rest on our laurels. Beating Hull has given us a boost. It's about getting out of the blocks quickly."
The Blues continue their Premier League campaign in a second successive home match tomorrow night, with Aston Villa the visitors fresh from a 3-1 win at Arsenal on the opening day.
