Vincent Kompany said Frank Lampard’s late equaliser against Chelsea could prove “crucial” in Manchester City’s bid to retain the title. The champions were losing 1-0 and down to 10 men following Pablo Zabaleta’s red card at the Etihad Stadium when Lampard scored his first goal for the club in the 85th minute. While the 36-year-old refused to celebrate because the strike was against his former side, Kompany believes the point Lampard gained may have a significant bearing on who wins the Premier League.
“We’re down to 10 men – how many players would’ve scored that goal?” the captain said. “Ever since I’ve been at this club, seasons and big moments have been decided on small events like this so I will never underestimate what it could mean to our season.”
The result means City kept the gap to Chelsea, who are the leaders, at five points, with the defender also insisting the title race is not only between City and Chelsea. “It is not fair to call it at the moment,” Kompany said. “First of all we are not even close to Chelsea yet. Second, I have seen good things from Chelsea but I have seen maybe better things from Arsenal so I guess it will all be about consistency and, with the Champions League, it will get messy around December.
“It is too early to call. Five points is nothing but [Chelsea] have five points more than us, it is as simple as that. But it will get messy in December and January as it always does – or at least the last six years I have been here it has.”
Lampard is on a half-season loan from New York City FC, and Kompany is clear what he adds to Manuel Pellegrini’s squad. “Quality. In pre-season he was looking really sharp already,” he said. “The goal he scored is probably something you would have seen for the last 15 years in the Premier League. He is still so clever, still extremely motivated, and ultimately you play so many competitions you need all the guys to be there and he’s another player who will make our team stronger.
“I think it goes both ways. He needed what we can offer him and we need what he can bring to us as well. If you talk to him I reckon that’s how he sees it as well and obviously [the goal] was just the icing on the cake.”
Asked if Lampard might come back for another loan next season, Kompany said: “It’s not for me to judge and I think he’s got his personal plans as well. I can just base it on what I see day-in day-out in the training ground and he’s one of the better players, so it’s as simple as it is. The rest, it’s not up to me and I wouldn’t want to make a judgment on that.”
Branislav Ivanovic, the Chelsea defender, said: “We know we played against the champions and they are a good team, even with 10 players. We are still first in the table. The season is long and we have to carry on our way. We have two more League games before the international break and we have to be focussed on that and have to win. It’s disappointing when you concede in this way. This is football and we have to look forward.”
He denied the late equaliser was harder to accept because it came from Lampard. “Not really. For us, a goal is a goal,” he said. “We don’t think about that. We know he is a great finisher and as a team we could have done better in that situation.
“We congratulated him [after the match]. We know he is a legend and the big things he gave to Chelsea. This is his history and no one can change that.”