Chelsea breezed past Swansea City with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge in a Premier League game on Sunday.
The home team was barely stretched throughout the match and scored twice in the first half to secure the important three points in their quest for the top four league places.
The Blues started the match in their usual sloppy style, however picked up pace as the minutes wore on.
Thunderous applause greeted the coming on of superstar Frank Lampard as a substitute in the middle of the first half. His presence on the pitch provided the much needed accuracy and impetus for the Chelsea forward line, and minutes after his coming on, he produced a trademark pass to Oscar that split open the defence and the Brazilian did well to slot it past the Swansea keeper Vorm.
The English midfielder was himself on the scoresheet in the dying minutes of the first half, when he converted a penalty that had been earned by Spanish Juan Mata. The goal brought Lampard’s tally of total Chelsea goals at 201, only one shot of legendary Bobby Tambling’s record of 202.
Swansea City had a few good chances in both halves, however they were not enough to trouble Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.
With the performance given by the Lampard in the match, it will be difficult for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to ignore the chants of “Sign him up!” from the home supporters. However, the club has continued to maintain an uncomfortable silence regarding the midfielder’s future at the club.
With this win, Chelsea move up one position in the league table to the third spot, displacing Arsenal who drew 1-1 with Champions Manchester United later in the day. Victory in this match was crucial as the Blues will visit United at Old Trafford next weekend, and Tottenham Hotspur the weekend after that.