Lampard hails 'special' FA Cup win for Chelsea

Posted Monday, May 07, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has hailed Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup final triumph over Liverpool as a "special" victory for the club.

The Blues were comfortable for the majority following goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba, although they were made to sweat after Andy Carroll reduced the deficit to just one goal before the striker's header then looked to have pulled Liverpool level, only for the officials to rule that the ball did not cross the line.

Chelsea held on for the win, however, with Lampard suggesting the success tasted "even sweeter" due to their difficulties this season, before praising Drogba's goalscoring record in big games.

"It's been a tough season, so it makes it that even more bit special to win," Lampard told reporters. "I think they get even sweeter as you get older because you know they don't always keep going forever. It's been a brilliant competition for us recently, obviously.

"It's been well-documented how many big goals [Drogba] gets us in finals. When you've got people like that in your team, you've only got to try and put it in their path. It goes down in history and big players perform in big games."

The west Londoners now face Liverpool and Blackburn in the Premier League before their Champions League final clash against Bayern Munich on May 19, a title Lampard is hoping to add to his collection having often gone close in the competition in the past.

"We've got one more to go and who knows?" he added. "Rather than go off the back of a defeat in a final, you want to go with a win. "It's a completely different game, different setting. Hopefully, we can take the confidence and get the result we want but it'll be a very tough game.

"We've been very close in the Champions League quite a few times and the club and the players, the fans, are desperate to win it. We know we've got one hurdle to do but we'll be giving everything to do it.

Chelsea’s late-season surge has coincided with the March appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as interim boss following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, and Lampard has praised the impact of the Italian on the club’s fortunes.

"[Di Matteo] deserves every accolade you can possibly give him for what he has done. To turn that around from a very difficult situation, to get the big players playing, to get confidence running through the team, to get the club and the fans to react in the way he has done..."

"It's a club decision come the summer, obviously, but I don't think Robbie's a loser whatever happens, without a doubt."

Finally, Lampard noted the impact of second-half substitute Carroll, suggesting the £35 million striker could be a contender for the England squad at Euro 2012.

"He's taken a bit of stick this year," the midfielder concluded. "But you could see what a quality player he is and, if he's involved with England then hopefully he'll bring that to England."