The last time that Chelsea and Manchester City faced off against each other at the Etihad was a tough battle until the very end. When it finally looked like one side had done just enough to earn all three points, late in the match it was one man who stole the show and ultimately marked 21 September 2014 as an unforgettable day.
In recent years when Chelsea and Manchester City have come together, it’s been quite a big deal. City have established themselves as one of the Premier League’s giants, and they’ve developed a bit of a rivalry with Chelsea as a result. When the two sides met last September, it was a fight between the previous year’s champions against the new season’s title favorites, a big match indeed.
One of the biggest battles on the pitch was Chelsea’s new goalscoring sensation Diego Costa up against City skipper Vincent Kompany. Interestingly, Kompany was paired with new signing Eliaquim Mangala that day. The two strong, physical centre-halves gave Diego an extremely tough time. It was really great to watch. In the end, Costa was neutralized by the two big men, and he wasn’t able to do much to trouble the Citizens.
It was home side who threatened more in the first half, and throughout the entire match for that matter. But after forty-five minutes, it was scoreless.
The Sky Blues picked up right where they left off in the second half, creating chances left and right. Sergio Aguero was at the heart of most of them, and City were on the rise. The first goal of the match was coming at any second.
This was until City’s momentum was impeded by Pablo Zabaleta’s sending off. The full-back received a second yellow card for a foul on Costa and the home side were down to ten men. As a result, striker Edin Dzeko was subbed off for a defender in Bacary Sagna. Man City were forced to lose an attacker in order to restore its defense to its usual numbers, but that didn’t stop Chelsea from taking the lead.
The visitors moved the ball quickly up the pitch, and Eden Hazard ran down the right side before playing an absolutely delightful ball all the way across the penalty area and onto the foot of Andre Schurrle for a tap-in. With about twenty minutes to go, Chelsea was in front of ten-man Manchester City at the Etihad.
However, it wouldn’t be enough for Chelsea in the end. Manager Manuel Pellegrini had a trick up his sleeve that he believed could change the game. Seven minutes after Schurrle’s go-ahead goal, Frank Lampard strode onto the pitch to cheers from every corner of the ground, the Chelsea end included. Seven minutes after the midfielder’s introduction, one of the most memorable (or forgettable) moments of the Englishman’s career ensued. Milner’s volleyed cross into the area was effortlessly turned in past Courtois and into the back of the Chelsea net by none other than Frank Lampard.
The Chelsea legend rose from the ground and refused to celebrate the fact that he had equalized with just five minutes to go in such a big game. The look on Frank’s face was unbelievably plain, almost as if he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The Chelsea players, fans, and staff were all stunned. The crowd full of City fans erupted with joy. Meanwhile across the pond, I sat frozen on my couch, speechless.
The game ended 1-1, and ten-man Manchester City managed to get the point that they, in all honesty, deserved via Frank Lampard. I never thought I’d ever be able to write these words. Even about a year later, I still can’t believe it happened.
At full-time, Lampard embraced all of his former teammates, especially John Terry, who was sat next to him in the eighty-fifth minute as they both watched his shot go into the back of the net. Then, both sets of fans chanted Lampard’s name. Frank walked over to the Chelsea end and clapped at them for what felt like forever.
A match between two title favourites was overshadowed by Frank Lampard’s equalizer in the end. Lampard’s tenure as a Manchester City player became one of the stories of his season, but his goal against Chelsea is surely one that none of us will ever forget. Last time Chelsea ventured over to the Etihad, it ended with a point gained and plenty of tears shed.
