Frank Lampard passed Bobby Tambling as Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer, as his two second half goals helped Chelsea come from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 and but assuring Chelsea of a top-four finish and with it UEFA Champions League football next season.
Villa, who have been really playing well recently took a surprise 14th-minute lead with Christian Benteke’s 19th goal of an season. With Brad Guzan making a string of terrific saves and Chelsea down to 10-man thanks to two yellow cards for Ramires, a major upset that would have implications at the top and bottom of the table looked to be in the cards.
But the game changed in the 58th minute when Benteke was sent off for two yellow cards, and Chelsea took immediate advantage when Lampard cut in from the right and scored with a left foot shot from the edge of the area.
From then all it was all Chelsea, as they went in search of the winner they needed. And Lampard delivered, just as he has done throughout his Chelsea career, when he score late on from point-blank range after good work by Eden Hazard.
In was not all good news for Chelsea though ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League final against Benfica, as John Terry and Hazard both picked up injuries, with Terry having to be replaced by Branislav Ivanović with a quarter of an hour remaining.
