Premier League: Cesar Azpilicueta admits it will be weird to see Frank Lampard play against Chelsea
Saturday 31 January 2015 11:16, UK
Cesar Azpilicueta admits it will be strange to see Frank Lampard line up against Chelsea in a Manchester City kit.
The former Chelsea midfield returns to Stamford Bridge for the first time following his summer move to the Premier League champions via New York City.
His return adds another subplot to the title race showdown which sees the league’s top-two sides tussle for supremacy.
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And, speaking ahead of the Saturday Night Football clash, Azpilicueta said the Lampard situation would not distract the Blues from the difficult match which lies in front of them.
“In the history of the club Lampard is a Chelsea legend and obviously it will be weird to see him playing in another shirt,” he told Sky Sports.
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“He will get a reception of a legend at Stamford Bridge. But he’s professional and when he’s on the pitch he will try to win for his team.
“The game at the Etihad was really tight. We scored when they had 10 men and were winning 1-0. They pushed a lot and we couldn’t manage the pressure from them and Lampard arrived to score the equaliser.
“Games against City are always tough and very tight, and this is a big game in the league. We know we have to win every game, every week, at home and away, so it is important because we play against a big team.
“In terms of the title, at the end there are still a lot of games to go. If we win, we are not going to say we’ve won the title and if we lose we’re not going to say we’ve lost the title. A lot of things can happen between now and the end of the season.”
Chelsea enter the game on the back of having overcome Liverpool in extra time to book their place in the Capital One Cup final.
And Azpilicueta believes the triumph can spur the team to make another giant step towards silverware.
“The Liverpool game was a really intense game, a real game between two big teams,” he added. “When it went to extra time we knew it would be difficult but at the end we got the win we were looking for.
“It was important for the confidence to beat Liverpool in the semi-final. To have a final to look forward to next month with our fans obviously helps for the big game against City.
"Saying that, we know it’s going to be a different game we have to forget that and focus on the next one.”
Watch Chelsea v Manchester City live this Saturday. Coverage from Stamford Bridge starts at 4:45pm, Sky Sports 1 HD.
