City slickers turn up the heat on Chelsea manager Lampard
ILKAY Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne all struck in the first half as Manchester City thumped Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge yesterday to heap pressure on Frank Lampard.
City shook off a clutch of positive coronavirus cases and Benjamin Mendy’s breach of social-distancing protocols to stun the Blues with three first-half goals inside the first 35 minutes in west London.
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a late consolation for the hosts, but Lampard’s men were second best in all departments.
Pep Guardiola’s side stretched their unbeaten run to 11 matches in all competitions, moving up to fifth in the Premier League.
Chelsea, by contrast, have now managed just one win in six, slipping to eighth place. The Blues have now lost five of 17 league games.
Chelsea brought Lampard back to Stamford Bridge as head coach in summer 2019 and installed Petr Cech as a technical advisor with a view to a long-term overhaul.
The Blues will also remain calm on the summer’s £220 million spending spree, given the club’s prior transfer ban.
But even in that context Lampard knows full well that the minimum standards are Champions League qualification and strong cup performances.
The manner of Chelsea’s firsthalf capitulation sent shock waves around Stamford Bridge.
The visitors were without Ederson, Ferran Torres, Nathan Ake, Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and Kyle Walker - and still won at a canter.
Foden received a vigorous embrace from Guardiola on his second-half withdrawal, to toast a virtuoso performance and one that left Chelsea chasing first-half shadows.
Gundogan handed City the lead, firing in on the turn after a neat ball into his feet from Foden.
England youngster Foden then swept home De Bruyne’s low cross with a fine first touch just three minutes later.
Chelsea’s heads clearly dropped after that second goal, and a wretched half worsened still further when De Bruyne drilled in.
One pass over the top left N’Golo Kante exposed and run ragged by Raheem Sterling, whose fine effort rebounded off the post.
De Bruyne was first to the loose ball, as he controlled it and slotted home.