Lampard Makes His Point – Again!

By Zain Alvi | 16th April 2009

Lampard Makes His Point - Again! | read this item

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In what is being called, by many UEFA pundits, arguably the most thrilling Champions League quarterfinal in recent memory, Chelsea knocked Liverpool out 7-5 on aggregate. However, the aggregate score is certainly flattering for the Blues, who defended amateurish throughout the second leg at home tonight.

As a result, the Stamford Bridge outfit was within a single goal of elimination on two different occasions during the night. It took one man’s composure to rescue his side not once, but twice. And unsurprisingly, this man was Chelsea’s ever-reliable midfield talisman, Frank Lampard.

I usually concede that Lampard’s success in Chelsea colors is partly due to assistance, provided by the likes of the very relentless Michael Essien, the powerful Didier Drogba, and obviously the skipper John Terry. With Terry suspended on the night, and the other two aforementioned players struggling to insert themselves into the game until late, Lampard had to carry the team on his shoulders.

And make no mistake about it – if I am asked to single out one player who outperformed the rest in tonight’s monumental clash, I will instantly respond that it’s Frank Lampard. While it was refreshing to see Liverpool continue to attack until the last second before the final whistle, their defense cracked under pressure, and was almost nonexistent in the second half. Ditto for the Blues, who relied solely on their attack to save the blushes of a horrific performance by Petr Cech and his defense.

Therefore, as I saw every single player on the field crack under pressure at one point or another during the night, I could not help but applaud Lampard’s unique sense of composure, as he effortlessly scored twice to get Chelsea out of trouble in extremely crucial stages of the game. Believe me, when Liverpool led 4-3 on the night with at least eight minutes to play, John Terry and the rest of the Chelsea supporters in the stands were finding it difficult to breathe.

Stamford Bridge was as silent as a haunted village, until Lampard’s decisive strike forced the entire stadium to erupt with just a minute of play left in regular time. This astounding display of class on Frank Lampard’s part highlights for the umpteenth time that he is, undoubtedly, one of the best in the world at what he does.

Agree that Lampard was the player of the match? Have your say in the comments section below or head on over to the Premiership Talk Forum!