Paul Scholes once claimed that Manchester City star Phil Foden is a better midfielder than Chelsea legend Frank Lampard. The legendary Manchester United midfielder drew comparisons between the two, insisting that Foden is an excellent goalscorer.
Scholes’ comments came after Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Manchester United last season on March 3. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Phil Foden’s brace (56′ and 80′) and Erling Haaland’s stoppage-time strike (90+1′) sealed all three points for City.
During his playing days, Frank Lampard was renowned for his extraordinary ability to arrive late in the box and find goals as a midfielder. The Chelsea legend sits sixth in the all-time Premier League goalscorer rankings, having netted 177 times in his career. He also provided 102 assists in the league, earning him the fifth spot in the standings.
Speaking after City’s victory over Manchester United last term, Scholes drew parallels between Foden and Lampard and said (via Metro):
“Look, he’s a better footballer than Frank Lampard but Frank Lampard scored goals and won leagues for his club from midfield. You expect centre-forwards to do it. Haaland, you just expect his numbers, you expect Michael’s [Owen] numbers when the team is doing well.”
“But from a midfield point of view, you’ve really got to take the game by the scruff of the neck and say: “Right, I’m going to get us back into this game, I’m going to win us leagues, I’m going to win us games! I think Frank Lampard was like that and I think Phil Foden is starting to do that, goals-wise,” he added.
“Look, Phil Foden is a much better footballer than Frank Lampard was, don’t get me wrong, but Frank won leagues for his team because of the contribution he made in midfield, in big games especially, and with Phil Foden I think we’re seeing the same type of thing,” Scholes concluded.
Foden has contributed 87 goals and 53 assists in 271 appearances across competitions for Manchester City.
“The performance was there” – Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca reacts after Manchester City defeat
Chelsea locked horns with reigning champions Manchester City in their opening fixture of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign on Sunday, 18 August. The Blues suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the defending champions at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca’s debut competitive match went awry as Erling Haaland (18′) and Mateo Kovacic (84′) got on the scoresheet, securing all three points for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Speaking after the game in his post-match press conference, Maresca insisted that his side’s performance was up to par. The Chelsea boss said (via football.london):
“I think the performance was good. The performance was there. We competed for large parts of the game. In some moments we were even better. We created chances. The big difference is inside the box.”