Lampard draws the poison to cheer Chelsea

WHEN Barcelona’s delegation of sharp-suited scouts deliver their findings to Pep Guardiola this morning, their report could consist of a single phrase: “Stop Frank Lampard.”

Didier Drogba might be a battering-ram capable of breaking down the steeliest defences and John Terry the rock against which the most menacing attack can founder, but Lampard remains the heartbeat of this Chelsea team. He is their totem, the equivalent of cricket’s ‘go-to man’, the one who will bring sweet relief however bleak the circumstances.

Lampard is never less than relentlessly excellent but, this season, he has surpassed himself. While his club has lurched into chaos off the field and many of his team-mates, including Terry and Drogba, have allowed their standards to slide, the England midfielder has remained the epitome of high-class consistency: his exclusion from the PFA team of the year is beyond comprehension.