To stand only one goal behind Thierry Henry in the Premier League’s all-time scoring charts is a measure of Frank Lampard’s supreme talent. To score as many in all competitions as Yaya Touré this season – five – with far less game-time is another. And to have the best top-flight strike rate of a goal every 68 minutes, to lead Sergio Agüero (81) and Diego Costa (83), when a midfielder by trade is one more.
Yet perhaps the best indicator of Lampard’s enduring excellence is that these achievements all derive from a man in a 37th year, one whose relentless drive took him to 174 league goals on Sunday at Southampton and whose overhauling of Henry’s 175 for Arsenal seems almost inevitable.
Manchester City’s loan acquisition from New York City FC of a player deemed too old by Chelsea already appears inspired. Lampard cannot stop scoring and cannot stop being a factor for the defending champions. He stood on four goals in 10 City appearances when coming on as a 65th-minute replacement for Samir Nasri at St Mary’s.
From the moment he glided on to the ball a quarter of an hour later, taking possession on the edge of Southampton’s area, there seemed little doubt that Saints were about to go 2-0 behind and City would be swapping places with Ronald Koeman’s side to return to the north-west in second place, only six points behind Chelsea. “As he’s shooting, you know it’s a goal,” said Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports. “That’s just Frank Lampard. There’s probably no one better we’ve seen in the past 10 or 20 years in terms of that position coming on to a ball. I think he’s only one Premier League goal behind Thierry Henry and that’s an unbelievable stat for a central midfield player.”
Suddenly the title race is back on and the decision to have Lampard’s City stay extended beyond January can be filed under “no-brainer”. With New York City’s status as the reigning champions’ sister club, any deal to keep him until the Major League Soccer season starts in mid-March is a formality.
With Touré away at the Africa Cup of Nations from early January until 8 February, if Ivory Coast were to reach the final, then Lampard could even be retained until May.
The prospect has previously been described as “not impossible” by Manuel Pellegrini, and it is thought there is a clause in Lampard’s contract that will allow City to keep him should the Chilean wish. How much of a dent this would put in the credibility of New York, a start-up franchise about to embark on a maiden season, and the MLS, if a marquee player is shown to have effectively been farmed to City from there may cause debate. But there would be surprise if this proves a deal-breaker.
Whether City are still in the Champions League next year is one factor being weighed in how long to retain Lampard. After next Wednesday’s final Group E game with Roma City’s fate will be known, so the decision may be taken then regarding precisely how long he stays at the Etihad Stadium.
Pellegrini’s team travel to the Italian capital, level on five points with Roma and CSKA Moscow, knowing that defeat means they are out of the competition and of the Europa League.
While this would mean a reduction in games, even with no European football there is a strong case for Pellegrini keeping Lampard on until the end of the season for the domestic battles of defending the title and the FA Cup, which starts next month.
Thus far Lampard has been diplomatic in public. “I don’t know. I’m not looking that far ahead,” he has said. “It’s nice that they’re saying that. It’s better that they’re saying that than they can’t wait for me to go but we’ll see what happens.”
Privately, though, he must be keen to prolong his time at City for as long as possible. As a player who continues to keep the best of professional standards why would he wish to go into a kind of semi-retirement and play in the MLS, which is a minor league in all but name?
As Pablo Zabaleta says: “For me what makes Frank Lampard special is how professional he is in training – this is what I appreciate from him. He is always the first to arrive on the training ground and the last to go home. He won everything with Chelsea, he’s a legend in football and he’s still playing like he’s 18 years old.”
As Pellegrini takes his team to Sunderland for Wednesday’s match he says: “When Lampard came I expected him to be the same player he has been for his whole career. His quality is the same.”
These are words José Mourinho must hope do not continue to be supported by action in the fight for the championship. On 31 January Chelsea entertain City at Stamford Bridge in an encounter that could have a defining influence on who takes the title this season.
Mourinho was not overly pleased when Chelsea’s travelling support cheered Lampard when he came on against their team at the Etihad in September and the manager’s mood darkened further when you-know-who grabbed the 85th-minute equaliser.
“When he decided to go to a direct competitor to Chelsea, then love stories are over,” said Mourinho afterwards. “He did his job as a professional.”
Do not be surprised if Lampard scores once more against his old club, next month. And continues to be a force for Manchester City until well into the spring at least.