Frank Lampard said Chelsea had provided the blueprint for future success with their display in the 1-0 Champions League win at Ajax, which fired their hopes of qualification for the last 16.

The substitute Michy Batshuayi scored the goal late on and Lampard said he was delighted with every aspect of the performance, from the defensive resilience to the way his team – inspired by another substitute, Christian Pulisic – outmanoeuvred Ajax in the closing stages.

“It feels huge, which always scares me because there is a lot to do,” Lampard said. “It is six points, halfway through a group now. I think we are entitled to be happy with the way we played and it is a bit of a blueprint for us. There are no excuses now to dip from that. It is the standard for us. Hopefully we can get better but we can’t drop that standard at this level of football.

“It answers questions because the younger players are still babies in Champions League minutes. This was a huge test for them and football continues to give you tests all the time. So I don’t want to say that they are there or this is it. But there was a balance tonight, with the young players who are learning quickly and the experienced players around them who are there to set examples.”

Lampard had words of praise for Pulisic, the £58m summer signing from Borussia Dortmund who has struggled so far to establish himself. “His performance tonight and his last couple of performances off the bench show something – he’s made differences. I’ve basically tried to shut my ears to much of the outside talk. With a big player, there’s a lot said and if you listen to it all the time, you can wonder what you’re doing.

“I understood the quality of Christian. I understood his young age and it’s a big move for him to Chelsea. And I have other options for him in those areas. Let’s give him full credit. He wants to know what I want for him, what the Premier League is like, what his new teammates are like and that’s not always going to be an easy road.”