Chelsea - 3 Newcastle Utd - 0: The last time Frank Lampard missed a league game for Chelsea the world was a rather different place. The attack on New York's twin towers had occurred less than three weeks earlier, Wayne Rooney was almost a year from his debut at Everton and Jose Mourinho held the head coach's job at little-known Uniao Leiria. England's first-choice team included Nick Barmby.
That was late September 2001, and since then Lampard has appeared in 159 consecutive Premiership matches. It is a feat matched only by the goalkeeper David James, and history suggests Lampard will establish a fresh record on Saturday at Portsmouth.
For a central midfielder it is a remarkable sequence. Steven Gerrard, who plays in a similar position for a similar club, has missed 25 league games over the same period.
Given the physical demands of the Premiership, not to mention the risk of injury and suspension, Lampard's achievement deserves respect. It demonstrates his importance to his club, and he has combined that run with 27 straight Champions League starts and increasingly authoritative form.
The 28-year-old, and Chelsea, were not at their best here on Saturday, but Lampard's performance after the interval was crucial to the team improving on a laboured first half to halt a run of two defeats.
He set up the second goal for Hernan Crespo, rarely wasted possession and was defensively alert.
Joe Cole paid tribute after his own energetic, incisive display which included the breakthrough strike against a Newcastle team which was weakened by the absence of Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, and undone by a Titus Bramble error.
"I think he's probably the most effective player in the world in his position," Cole said, "and to play that amount of games is incredible."
Lampard was suspended for the one league match he has missed for Chelsea and attributes his impeccable injury record to various factors.
"It has to be something to do with fitness and the way I live, because if I didn't live right I'd get muscle injuries at some point," he said in the club programme.
"Part of it is luck. And part of it is being a bit clever, not flying into tackles that are silly and you can't win, and not pulling out of tackles."
He is "proud" of equalling James' record, but added that "sometimes more has been said of it than I feel about it".
He must feel the same about the reaction to Chelsea's mini-slump. The champions still looked less secure than in the past, with set pieces troubling them initially, Glen Johnson failing to impress on his recall and John Terry enduring a rare off-day, including a tackle that might have brought an early penalty.
Newcastle lacked the forwards to capitalise, though, and two goals in four minutes killed them off.
Chelsea had looked tentative and struggled to make opportunities from open play until Bramble confirmed his tendency to lose concentration by presenting a clearance to Eidur Gudjohnsen, who released Cole for a strong finish.
"One year ago he was a player with potential, now he's a player," Mourinho said of Cole.
The goal settled his team and Crespo soon scored emphatically. He did not look a player with no future here, but may be replaced by Didier Drogba for Wednesday's must-win game at Anderlecht.
Chelsea will assess Claude Makelele's knee injury and are hopeful that Terry will shake off a groin strain.
Michael Essien suggested he can stand in for Makelele.
Newcastle looked their mid-table standing, were unreliable at centre-half, and Scott Parker's tireless efforts went unrewarded. Shola Ameobi was disappointing, and only Charles N'Zogbia threatened before Damien Duff's deflected effort gave Chelsea's win a flattering edge.
OFK Belgrade have said Chelsea have agreed to sign their 16-year-old defender Slobodan Rajkovic.
"He will stay with us until the end of the 2006-07 season and then he will join Chelsea," the club said.
Guardian Service
