Lampard back to haunt Blues

Written off as both a quota-filler and a Financial Fair Play dodge, Frank Lampard came off the bench to equalise against former club Chelsea in a moment that could prove hugely significant in the title race.

Thanks to a goal from Andre Schurrle following Pablo Zabaleta’s dismissal, Chelsea were grinding their way towards the kind of 1-0 win that Lampard helped them secure so many times in his 12 years at the club when the veteran turned in from James Milner’s cross to earn a point.

It may have been confusing for Lampard, who is on loan from New York City, but it was enough to prevent his former employers from moving eight points clear of champions Manchester City.

At this stage of the season that advantage would not have been terminal but Chelsea, who were on the brink of a fifth successive win, would have taken some overhauling.

By the time these two sides are scrapping their way through the final weeks of the season, Lampard, 36, will be well into the MLS semi-retirement he had planned when he was released from Stamford Bridge.

But against a team he scored 211 goals over 13 years for, his first for City was a big one and sparked a series of barbs between the two managers.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini claimed that Chelsea had played like Stoke and labelled them a “small team”.

Moments after the two managers engaged in one of their warmer handshakes at the final whistle, Jose Mourinho declared the love affair with Lampard was over and behaved very much like someone who had been dumped, refusing to respond to the comments of “Pellegrino” or discuss Lampard in any detail.

And beforehand they had tried to tell us this was too early to matter too much.

“I came here to do a job and it is a special and weird day,” Lampard said. “I spent 13 years at Chelsea and there were no bad feelings so I hoped for a good reception. It was difficult day for me at the end because what do you do? You’re caught in the middle.

“It was a strange week, I knew I wouldn’t start and didn’t know what to expect. What was a win for me? Maybe a draw and keeping the Premier League close and a reception from both sets of fans that I won’t forget.”

Despite the more attractive performances since Cesc Febregas and Diego Costa arrived in the summer, this was a return to Chelsea at their most dogged and it almost worked.

Pellegrini, whose side lost their previous home game 1-0 against Stoke, was unimpressed. “We played against exactly the same team we played against Stoke here.

“We played 90 minutes against a small team trying to defend, trying to keep 10 players in front of their goal. It is so important to play like a big team, and not like a small team. I would not be happy to play that way.”

For all their dominance of possession, all of City’s play was in front of the Londoners. Their best efforts of the first half were a weak header from Yaya Toure and a half-volley from Sergio Aguero that flew harmlessly over.

A promising start was lost as referee Mike Dean showed six yellow cards and the pattern was never likely to change after the interval.

The crucial moment came midway through the second half when Zabaleta, one of those booked earlier, went through Costa and was showed another card by Dean.

Almost immediately afterwards, the visitors ripped through with Branislav Ivanovic, who scored the winner in a replica performance here in February, popping up in midfield, Diego Costa working it right and Eden Hazard crossing to the far post for Schurrle to tap in.

It looked like a job done until David Silva hooked a ball forward, James Milner volleyed it back across goal and Lampard, who had drifted away from Ivanovic, prodded in at the near post.

He even went close to pinching a win for the 10 men but his old friend John Terry pulled off a sliding challenge to block a low shot.

Lampard, who did not know he was leaving when Chelsea played their final home game of last season, rightly milked the applause from all four corners of the ground before the managers, rivals from their days in Spain, went at it once again.

“Frank Lampard is a Man City player, I don’t believe in stories of passion and heart,” Mourinho said.

“When he decided to go to a direct competitor to Chelsea then love stories are over. He did his job as a professional.

“Many times ‘Pellegrino’ says he never speaks about me and my team but he keeps doing the same thing. I am the one that does as he says. I don’t comment on his words. Don’t ask me about his words, I am not interested in that.”

MANCHESTER CITY (4-4-2): Hart 6; Zabaleta 6, Mangala 7, Kompany 8, Kolarov 5; Milner 7 Fernandinho 7 (Navas 73, 6),Toure 7, Silva 6; Aguero 6, Dzeko 6 (Sagna 70, 6).

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois 6; Ivanovic 5, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Azpilicueta 6; Matic 5, Fabregas 5; Ramires 6 (Schurrle 62, 7), Willian 6 (Mikel 62, 6), Hazard 6; Costa 7 (Drogba 82, 5).