Chelsea in pole but race still on, insists Frank Lampard

Chelsea 1 Man City 1: If Frank Lampard really does have bridges to build with some at Chelsea, he went a long way towards winning over those at Stamford Bridge who feel betrayed by his surprise emergence as a mainstay of Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City squad by insisting his former club remain favourites to win the Premier League.

Lampard’s return to west London has been anticipated ever since City announced he would remain at the Etihad Stadium until the end of the season.

His equaliser in the reverse fixture in September added another twist to the narrative and his emergence 13 minutes from time as a second-half substitute raised the possibility of the midfielder striking another decisive blow in the title race.