As it was Frank Lampard’s birthday this week, I look back at the day he equalled and overtook the goal scoring record at Chelsea, succeeding Bobby Tambling as Chelsea’s record scorer in true Super Frank tradition.
It was April 2013 and Chelsea travelled to Villa Park as they looked to secure Champions League football for the following season under Rafa Benitez. But it was Villa who took an early lead as Christian Benteke raced past the Chelsea defence and tucked it past Petr Cech. The rest of the first half didn’t go without incident as referee Lee Mason was the centre of attention as he sent off Ramires after the Brazilian got two bookings. Meanwhile, Villa goal scorer Benteke was also booked for a foul on Cesar Azpilicueta. The game heated up as John Terry also went into the referee’s book for a foul on Yacouba Sylla.
The cards didn’t stop at half time as Benteke was sent off for a second booking after a high foot on John Terry and tempers flared. With the team numbers levelled up, Lampard equalled Tambling’s record of 202 Chelsea goals by rifling the ball past Brad Guzan with his left foot. But he wasn’t content with that as he scored late on to hand Chelsea a dramatic win and secure himself at the top of Chelsea scorers. Lampard collected the ball in midfield and played it out to Eden Hazard on the left wing who drove inside and played a neat one-two with Ashley Cole and found himself on the byline. Hazard cut the ball across the Villa goal, expecting striker Fernando Torres to just tap it in.
But it was Lampard who was sharpest to tuck the ball home as he had done for the Blues in for the last 12 years. A simple tap-in meant as much to Lampard as that chip at the Nou Camp, the strike at Bolton or the free kick against Spurs at Wembley. The goal sparked wild celebrations in the away end as Lampard slid on his knees to the corner flag and raised his arms up – a tribute to his mother, Pat, who died in 2008. Super Frank was bundled by his Chelsea team mates and the stewards were busy keeping the crazy Chelsea fans off the pitch, either way, it was an iconic moment.
Who knows if we’ll see Lampard back at Chelsea one day, maybe in the dugout, what is for sure is that he will always be a legend in West London.
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