When Frank Lampard drilled home Chelsea's winner from just outside the box, the English midfielder looked very much like his old self, and the veteran said he was happy to be given the license to go forward in the home game against Norwich City, where the Blues won 4-1.

"I was given rein to get forward a bit more on Saturday and if I get the chance to do that I believe I can still score goals, but it is important to also show discipline as well for the team," Lampard told the club's official website.

"When we are incorporating different styles of players we have to keep the door closed at the back as well and I am enjoying playing in a team with so much talent in it.

"Now it is important we carry on, keep getting the best out of that talent and don't sit back on what we have done so far.

"Juan Mata is playing brilliantly. He had a rest for a couple of weeks because he played constantly through the summer on the back of a great season for us last year.

"He has come back in sharp form, creating and scoring goals and with him alongside Oscar and Eden Hazard, we have three players who can really unlock the door and it was nice to see them all linking up so well.

"In the opening minutes against Norwich we weren't on our game but when they scored, the reaction to that was instant and after that we moved the ball well, dominated the game and we ran our very comfortable winners.

Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard and Branislav Ivanovic also got in on the scoresheet in a comfortable victory for the Blues, which kept them four points clear at the top of the table on 19 from seven games, and Lampard believes the early season form has shown Chelsea are genuine title contenders this season.

"It was quite nice being under the radar early in the season," he continued. "We had a bad season at times last season and it fell away and we started to concentrate on the Champions League, and we all know what happened there.

"We showed what we can do and we have added top quality players into the team and we still have a spine here, so hopefully we have nice mix to make a big challenge in the league."

The change in playing style, with playmakers dominating the new Chelsea side has seen Lampard play a more withdrawn role, but the 34-year-old is clearly enjoying playing in the new-look side.

"We are playing slightly differently, that is for sure, and I think that is just because of the players we have brought in, the style of their play," he added.

"But it is a long season and we have had nice patches in previous seasons that have fizzled out, so it is very important we keep going and stay confident. In some games we have to mix it and play slightly different. We believe and we have to show that we can be capable of doing that.

"It is nice to have started so well. The players that we have brought in have bedded in very quickly and it is good to go away at the international break on top."