The swirling wind and pouring rain that swept around the King Power Stadium last night wouldn’t have been amiss in a make-believe novel. It was the sort of pathetic fallacy, scene setting and foreshadowing that signified a sad end. This felt like it might have been Frank Lampard’s.
As Leicester City and Brendan Rodgers paraded themselves to the top of the Premier League, no matter how briefly, Chelsea sank down to eighth. A visible sign of where the two teams not only currently are, but the direction they’re going.
This wasn’t how it was meant to go for Lampard, but it may well be how it ends. Here’s five things we learnt from what we couldn’t even bill as a top of the table clash in Leicester.
Lampard out of his depth
After a top four finish last season and the huge outlay of £200 million this summer on new signings, Chelsea were expected to improve. Since their 17-game unbeaten run that ended on 12 December, they have won two league games.
Despite the bedding in problems, injuries and cries for time, Lampard has run out of excuses. Chelsea now have five losses in eight games and have won just one of their last five away from Stamford Bridge.
For now, many are just waiting for Roman Abramovich to pull the trigger.
Leicester are title challengers once again
If Manchester United are to be dubbed serious title contenders then Leicester City must be included in the same bracket. No matter how short their current stint at the top lasts for, the Foxes have made their mark.
With Rodgers at the helm they have a firey, passionate, tactically astute and hungry manager. He’s won trophies before but now he’s here for the big time.
Their squad is one that plays to it’s strengths and they have the flexibility to be unpredictably bold in every game. The current league leaders also boast eight Premier League title winners in their squad. For reference, Chelsea only have seven.
Wesley Fofana is the real deal
One of Leicester’s strengths since returning to England’s top-flight in 2014 has been their efficiency in the transfer market. Picking up so called “silver medallists” and improving them. Turning many into title winners and even World Cup champions.
In 20-year old Wesley Fofana they look to have another gem on their hands. The young Frenchman was purchased for a hefty £30 million in the summer, that’s already looking like a steal.
Against Chelsea he showed their experience of Thiago Silva at the other end of the pitch and the ball playing of a certain Dutch centre half from Merseyside. Alongside Jonny Evans in defence for the Foxes, Fofana has a great partner to learn from.
Faith not restored
For a manager that handed out eight first team debuts to academy graduates last season alone, Lampard has changed. He has gone into his shell and reverted to the experienced heads in his changing room. Rather than pinning hopes and confidence into the youth set up that brought him so much success last season.
On the pitch we saw Mateo Kovacic, a mere shadow of his former self, start over Billy Gilmour. It can’t be proven, but it feels like last season Lampard would have taken the risk and started the young Scot. In the end, Gilmour couldn’t have faired any worse than Kovacic.
A bumpy road
For Chelsea fans, the sight of a manager trudging off the pitch isn’t an unfamiliar sight. The inevitability of it all is there to see. For Lampard, he may well be following in Jose Mourinho’s footsteps. Sacked after losing, in white, to a Leicester City team that are where Chelsea desperately want to be.
Even Maurizio Sarri’s last game was away at the King Power. He left of his own accord. It doesn’t look like Lampard will have the opportunity to do the same.
When these feelings start coming out at Stamford Bridge, they usually only end one way.
