%202.png)
.png)
Just as John Terry sprinted on to the turf at Stamford Bridge as a 78th-minute substitute, the moment of genuine class arrived.
Frank Lampard, serenaded by Chelsea supporters throughout the second half after scoring his 200th goal for the club, turned to Terry and held out the captain’s armband.
It was symbolic, touching the hearts and minds of the 40,000 supporters who have lived the dream with this celebrated Chelsea pair over the years.
Evergreen: Frank Lampard put Chelsea ahead en route to an important victory
Terry, playing in his first Barclays Premier League game at the Bridge since injuring his right knee against Liverpool on November 11, declined. It was Lampard’s day again.
Together they have won the Champions League, three Barclays Premier League titles and four FA Cups in the Roman Abramovich era. They know what it means to win, often dragging this team over the line in times of adversity.
Yesterday they were reunited on the edge of the centre circle, reaching out to each other even though their careers are filled with uncertainty.
Sweetly struck: The talented Belgian's goal came in the 50th minute
MATCH FACTS
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Luiz (Terry, 78), Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Mata (Mikel 85), Moses (Oscar, 70), Hazard, Ba
Subs not used: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand, Torres
Goals: Lampard 19, Hazard 50
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Reid, O'Brien, Collins (Tomkins, 61), Demel, Jarvis, Collison, Diame (Taylor, 46), O'Neil, Carroll, Vaz Te (Cole, 80)
Subs not used: Speigel, McCartney, Pogatetz, Chamakh
Booked: Reid, Demel
Referee: Michael Oliver
Att: 41, 639
Terry is the third-choice central defender under Rafa Benitez, who rotated his squad for a routine victory over West Ham.
Lampard , who was pulled to one side last month and told he would be offered another year at the club he loves, is still waiting for Chelsea to crunch the numbers.
On the field it’s all adding up, especially after he arrived to direct Eden Hazard’s tantalising cross beyond Hammers keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 19th minute. To do it against the club who sold him to Chelsea for £11million in 2001 must have been really special.
He immediately headed for Terry, who was warming up — quite provocatively — in front of visiting supporters. They celebrated together, sharing a nostalgic trip down memory lane before Michael Oliver, the referee, ordered them to restart.
Lampard is just two goals behind record Chelsea scorer Bobby Tambling after 595 appearances.
‘It’s one of my best days, but winning the Champions League and the Premier League are the best,’ he said.
Opening goal: It was Frank Lampard who headed Chelsea in front
‘To get to 200 goals, a record I never thought I would get near, means so much. Everyone keeps talking about the record but I would rather people kept quiet. The important thing is to score goals to win games.
‘We are in good form and there is a good feeling about the place and we need to carry it on until the end of the season.’
At 34, Lampard still has a magnificent engine, running the show in the first half as Hazard and Juan Mata provided the sweetest of touches on either wing.
Former club: Demba Ba played against the side he left in 2011
Winning goal: Hazard's goal sealed victory
The midfield trio excelled, sparking off each other as Chelsea prepare to challenge champions Manchester City for second place.
Suddenly it all seems possible, with Benitez’s brief to finish in the top four becoming a bit more realistic after an impressive victory.
It’s been a good week for Benitez, with something stirring after that memorable comeback in the FA Cup against Manchester United.
Battling for revenge: Chelsea lost at Upton Park earlier in the season
Chelsea are a team again, shrugging off the troubles which characterise just about any season at this club. At times they were outstanding, picking West Ham off in a breathtaking opening spell.
Hammers fans are unhappy, with cries of ‘Paolo Di Canio’ surfacing at the end of the first half. They weren’t so bad, with Andy Carroll providing some muscular help for Matt Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te.
Petr Cech, reliable in Chelsea’s goal again, got down well to save efforts from Mo Diame and substitute Carlton Cole. Carroll should have scored a consolation, of sorts, in the final minute. Chelsea had scored a second just after the break.
Cause for celebration: Rivals Tottenham and Manchester City both lost to cap a good weekend for Chelsea
Out of form: Andy Carroll again failed to get on the score sheet
Hammers captain Winston Reid was a tormented soul by the end, turned inside out by the runs of Hazard, Mata and Victor Moses.
This time it was Hazard, starting and finishing the move when he lost Reid before clipping his effort inside Jaaskelainen’s post.
‘They had the game’s outstanding players and we didn’t do enough to stop them,’ said Allardyce. ‘Mata and Hazard are a handful, but we should have done a lot better.’
It turned into a face-saving exercise for West Ham but Chelsea push on for a bigger prize. The FA Cup and Europa League are twin targets but the top four is the minimum requirement for Benitez. To do it, he will rely on his captain.
