Lampard crowns emotional evening

For those in the stands at Stamford Bridge it was draining enough as Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC fought it out for the chance to meet Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League final. So it was hard to imagine what emotions Frank Lampard was going through when, less than a week after his mother's death, he stepped up to fire the penalty that put Chelsea within sight of their first final in the competition.

First final
This game between the two English rivals had it all, even, for once, goals – five of them in fact as the teams slugged out their third semi-final in four seasons. For the first time it was Chelsea who prevailed, winning 3-2 to advance 4-3 on aggregate. The London side were contesting their fourth semi-final in five campaigns and they were not going to let the opportunity slip. Lampard was determined to make sure of that. The England midfielder had sat out the weekend match against Manchester United but with so much at stake he returned to make a telling contribution. Michael Ballack had taken the penalty that defeated United, here Lampard took responsibility, shooting low to Pepe Reina's left eight minutes into extra time to give Chelsea a 2-1 lead before wheeling away and falling to the sodden turf.

Emotionally exhausting
He pointed to the skies and kissed his black armband then picked out his father in the stands. An already emotionally exhausting night had another crescendo moment. Not that the game was over. There was still time for Didier Drogba to rifle in a third and even for Ryan Babel to pull one back late on for Liverpool. Avram Grant's team, though, refused to buckle. There is an unstoppable momentum about Chelsea right now. Just when they seem down, they hit back, keeping the Premier League title race alive and recording this unprecedented achievement.

'Normal guy'
When Grant replaced the 'Special One', José Mourinho, in September he was asked what he considered himself to be. "Just a normal guy," was his response. Seven months on, as his side prepare to take on United in the first all-English UEFA Champions League final he may have to revise that statement. Even Mourinho didn't make it this far. This was an evening his team were determined to make their own, as epitomised by Drogba. Stung by pre-match comments from Liverpool boss Rafael Benítez, he quickly made his presence felt. Before the first half was out, Martin Škrtel had hobbled off after one last-ditch tackle on the 30-year-old and Steven Gerrard was fortunate not to join him on the sidelines after being caught by the striker.

Drogba duel
With a nod perhaps to Benítez, Drogba also won a free-kick in the opening minute, raising a cheer from home supporters angered by accusations that he goes down too easily. Up against Jamie Carragher, it was a heavyweight contest with the Ivorian pulling the punches. Twice inside 20 minutes he got the better of the centre-back only to miss his chance when well-placed. He soon made amends. Lampard's emotional return had given Chelsea a lift before kick-off, but more significant still was his contribution on 33 minutes when he sent Salomon Kalou clear down the left. When Kalou's shot was saved, Drogba was on hand to turn in the rebound, pointedly running along the touchline to celebrate in front of the Liverpool bench.

Old-fashioned feel
Chelsea captain John Terry had talked of the "burning pain" of those preceding semi-finals, although some of that fire must have been doused by the torrential rain. As the two groups of fans raised the temperature and the pitch cut up, it had the feel of an old-style English league battle. Of course it was anything but. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has changed the landscape of English football since buying the Stamford Bridge outfit in June 2003, investing an estimated €350m in players and transforming his team into a powerhouse at home and abroad. The championship twice, the FA Cup once and the League Cup twice have all been won but never the prize he has coveted most. What a time to do it now with his home city of Moscow the venue for the final.

Long wait ends
Even with the scene set so perfectly, and with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson an intrigued observer, Liverpool refused to buckle. When Torres scored to force extra time the visiting supporters, so accustomed under Benítez to seeing their side triumph in this competition with backs against the wall, sang "we shall not be moved". This time, though, Lampard , Drogba and co ensured they were.