Frank Lampard may forever retain his distinction as the only manager to lose a Premier League game to Nathan Jones. In that context, losing to Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful manager in Champions League history, counts as a highlight. An increasingly surreal 2023 has brought Lampard a promotion of sorts but relegation beckons from Chelsea, set to be ejected from the European elite, unsure when they will return.
Lampard was the nostalgic gamble, the attempt to find the Roberto Di Matteo of the 2020s. Even a red card at one of the citadels of Spanish football evoked memories of 2012 but if Chelsea staged an improbable heist at the Nou Camp after John Terry was sent off, they merely saw their margin of defeat increase after Ben Chilwell made an early exit in the Bernabeu. The past has brought Lampard back but Chelsea lost to the club, Real Madrid, and the manager who personify history and heritage. At least, in a campaign when Chelsea have caused themselves untold harm, a damage-limitation exercise restricted the scoreline to 2-0. In theory, there is a chance in next week’s rematch. Though as their goal drought has gone past the six-hour mark, as they have only scored 14 times since 3 November, possibly not.
