Premier League - Lampard late show denies Stoke

Eurosport - Sun, 18 Jan 08:39:00 2009

Frank Lampard scored an injury-time winner as Chelsea came from behind to defeat Stoke City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard v Stoke, FOOTBALL - 0

Rory Delap stunned the Blues with the opener on the hour after the Londoners had dominated proceedings but not managed to find a way past visiting goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

But substitute Juliano Belletti equalised two minutes from time before Lampard, captaining the side on his 400th appearance for the club, drove home four minutes into added time.

The home players rushed to manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in celebration as they could celebrate just their third win in nine Premier League matches.

Didier Drogba was again left out of Chelsea's 18-man squad and after the news before kick-off that Joe Cole would be out for the rest of the season they were further hit by an injury to skipper John Terry in the warm-up that saw him pull out.

The Londoners survived an early scare when a Delap long throw flicked off the back of Alex's head and just past the far post before Abdoulaye Faye headed over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

But they dominated thereafter with Michael Ballack curling a free-kick in a central position into the arms of a grateful Sorensen before Lampard whipped in a free-kick which an unmarked Ricardo Carvalho poked over the top from six yards.

Sorensen then dived to his right to push away Nicolas Anelka's crisp shot on the turn from 18 yards before the Dane claimed a header from the French striker under the crossbar.

And on the brink of half-time Sorensen produced a superb stop after Ashley Cole's shot flicked off Ryan Shawcross and was tipped over the top by the Dane's right hand - his trailing one following the deflection.

The pressure continued after the break and Florent Malouda picked out Ballack unmarked eight yards out but with the goal at his mercy he headed woefully wide.

The home fans were then stunned by Delap's goal - Stoke's only shot on target of the afternoon.

Against the run of play, debutant James Beattie took the ball superbly on his chest before feeding Delap who held off Cole and a weak effort on the cover from Alex before chipping the ball over Petr Cech.

Scolari's reaction was to replace Malouda with Franco Di Santo and throw Belletti on as they searched desperately for the equaliser.

Lampard's shot from 12 yards screwed narrowly past the far post before Cole's fierce drive from the left corner of the penalty area fizzed past Sorensen's far post with the diving keeper beaten.

A swerving shot from Lampard then dipped past the far post before Chelsea finally did get on level terms with Salomon Kalou's cross headed back across goal by Ballack and Belletti found himself unmarked at the far post to nod home the equaliser.

And at the end of a frenetic final few minutes, Lampard won it for Chelsea. There were some desperate blocks from diving red shirts before the ball fell to the England midfielder 18 yards out and he smashed the ball into the net to ease the pressure on his coach.

Lee Walker / Eurosport

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  1. man u are opportunists that win with underhand methods.If Chelsea got half the favours which manure routinely get then the trophy would have been won and lost a long time ago

    From Tochi, on Mon 19 Jan 1:27PM

  2. CHELSEA CHELSEA CHELSEA CHELSEA CHELSEA LAMPARD LAMPARD

    From khaledsoccer4, on Sun 18 Jan 4:21PM

  3. ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP

    ALL MATCHES ON WEB: PREMIER LEAGUE, FA CUP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CARLING CUP, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - UEFA CUP AND MUCH MORE

    ALL THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES

    From , on Sun 18 Jan 12:05PM

  4. Seeing Lampard raise that left leg for the shot...that goal is a golden goal.

    From cynthadel, on Sun 18 Jan 11:39AM

  5. those saying chelsea should shut their thrash, wat about manure who have won 1-0 about 8 times this season????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????

    From ANONYMOUS, on Sun 18 Jan 10:55AM

  6. Arsenal are not going to be in the frame, so come on you West-end poofters and keep the challenge up to stop ManU.
    Let's hope Liverpool can, but if needs must, Chelsea will be better than ManU and the millions of armchair, never been to a game in their life supporters they have.

    From El-Tony., on Sun 18 Jan 7:09AM

  7. Kevin....just because you are old, no excuse for SHOUTING!
    Locate the caps off key mate.

    From El-Tony., on Sun 18 Jan 7:06AM

  8. ITS HARD FOR ME LIVING IN STOKE HAHAHAHA IM A CHELSEA FAN AND HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS WATCHING THEM THROUGH THE GOOD AND THE BAD TIMES SOME OF OUR SUPPORTERS DONT REMEMBER THEM COLD NIGHTS IN THE 70S AT PLACES LIKE GRIMSBY AND CAMBRIDGE UTD ITS TIME FOR BIG PHIL TO TAKE STOCK AND SELL THE DROG HIS HEART ISSENT IN IT ANY MORE AND EVEN THOUGH ANELKA IS DOING WELL WE NEED AN OUT AND OUT STRIKER LIKE OSGOOD OR DIXON FROM THE OLD DAYS SOMEONE WITH PASSION THAT WILL LEADS US FORWARD AND SCORE GOALS WEEK IN WEEK OUT THE OTHER 3 TOP TEAMS SEEM TO HAVE THIS BUT WE ARE LACKING IN THIS DEPARTMENT
    I HOPE WE DO WIN THE LEAUGE THIS YEAR AND STOKE STAY UP AS WELL THEY ARE A GOOD TEAM TO WATCH ON THERE DAY AND THEY BEAT ARSENAL AS WELL HAHAHAHAHAHA GO ON CHELSEA BLUE FOR LIFE.

    From kevin, on Sun 18 Jan 5:43AM

  9. the amount of ignorance on display here is astonishing. To think that some of you people feel like you are making meaningful, worthwhile comments is depressing.

    To imagine Man U winning the premiership is painful.

    From Andrew P, on Sun 18 Jan 5:11AM

  10. sappercommando25 ad what so great about ronaldo for example ??
    he is skillful palyer no doubt but very very bad mannerism and we so that many time throw objection on decisions, trying to hit the ball with his hand, trying to kick the player with his feet while he is down at least lampard is respectable worthy to be a captain and skillful and more more experience
    and also my friend if the fa would look to a player manners on the field ronaldo wouldn't have won anything for his life and this has been written before and many people agreed with me

    From vandork85, on Sun 18 Jan 4:30AM

  11. sappercommando25 ad what so great about ronaldo for example ??
    he is skillful palyer no doubt but very very bad mannerism and we so that many time throw objection on decisions, trying to hit the ball with his hand, trying to kick the player with his feet while he is down at least lampard is respectable worthy to be a captain and skillful and more more experience
    and also my friend if the fa would look to a player manners on the field ronaldo wouldn't have won anything for his life and this has been written before and many people agreed with me

    From vandork85, on Sun 18 Jan 4:27AM

  12. Frank the plank we call him..hes got something special please carryon plank ...that was a great moment today thanks...for playin the beautiful game..

    From kevinrcross, on Sun 18 Jan 3:16AM

  13. vandork85 95
    What is so great about Lampard?

    From sappercommando25, on Sun 18 Jan 12:42AM

  14. up the potters, you are a d i c k b4 abram come chelsea finish 2nd and got to champ league semi....i would say that is competing for trophies. You lot are bad for football with your one tactic. sooner delap dislocates shoulder the better, down you go...M U G

    From boozola25, on Sun 18 Jan 12:30AM

  15. i wish chelsea would make up their minds,as for some of the players if they don,t want to play for the team just get out it sends bad vibes to the rest of the team

    From Keith, on Sun 18 Jan 12:16AM

  16. anelka the best!..

    From uveys, on Sat 17 Jan 11:19PM

  17. GAY

    From anthony h, on Sat 17 Jan 11:02PM

  18. its to late baby its to now darlin its to late dum dum dum dum ha ha ha M-I-B

    From anthony h, on Sat 17 Jan 10:55PM

  19. I feel sick, both chelski and man ure win at the death. Nobody likes you- hated lucky english nobodies.

    From James, on Sat 17 Jan 10:29PM

  20. And jazzman even though chelsea and utd were @#$% today they both won liverool wouldnt cos theyre @#$% benitez the control freak gone by march

    From robierto87, on Sat 17 Jan 10:18PM
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