• Premier League

Lampard is standard-bearer for football - Mata

Juan Mata stepped aside for Frank Lampard to take the penalty © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: AVB happy with Lampard's role at Chelsea
  
• News: Lampard vows to see out his Chelsea contract
  
• News: Man City pay the penalty after Clichy sees red
  
• News: Mancini says Silva penalty refusal was turning point
  
• News: Victorious Villas-Boas slams newspaper report
  
• Profile: Frank Lampard

Juan Mata has praised the influence of Frank Lampard in the Chelsea dressing room and has backed the midfielder to force his way back into the Blues' starting XI.

Lampard came off the bench to score the winner as Chelsea ended Manchester City's unbeaten start to the Premier League season, but admitted his frustration at being forced to start as a substitute.

The 33-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, is determined to see out the remaining 18 months on his contract at Stamford Bridge. But Mata, who stepped aside to allow Lampard to take the decisive spot-kick, believes his colleague will not be out of the Chelsea side for long.

"Lampard is a legend here, a legend who keeps on providing a lot of good to the club," Mata said. "He is a great presence to have in the dressing room and, for me, he is a standard-bearer for the entire world of football. I have only known him a few months but he is a great guy and he has been very accommodating to all the new players coming in.

"He has the experience to remain calm, even when he's not playing, to know that there will be times when he will play because there are so many games. He still has a lot to give. He will score a lot of goals and play a lot of games this season, I'm sure."

Three wins from their last three games have seen Chelsea secure their place in the Champions League knockout stages and move within seven points of league leaders City to ease the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas. Mata believes recent performances underline the team's support for Villas-Boas, and is keen to see the Blues continue to kick on.

"The team has shown in the worst moments that we are united behind the manager," Mata said. "Now that we are in a run of results where things are more positive, everything is easier, but we have shown that we are together with the manager and the technical staff, like a family.

"We have won three vital games, against Newcastle, Valencia and now this one, which has broken the negative run we were in and now we can hopefully start a good sequence to keep on rising up the table.

"We have not won anything just by beating these teams, but we have to keep fighting to win games because we are still in with a chance of a lot of trophies. It was a very important win against the league leaders, and it gives us a lot of confidence."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.