Frank Lampard Gives Manchester City a Dilemma as Kompany, Dzeko Injuries Mar Win

LEICESTER, England — Manchester City recorded their seventh straight victory in all competitions with a 1-0 over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, keeping the pressure firmly on leaders Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table. 

It was far from a vintage City display, but Manuel Pellegrini will be pleased with the fighting qualities his players showed after their midweek trip to Rome. If winning when not at your best is a mark of champions, then City showed their title-winning credentials in the east Midlands.

However, the win was marred by yet another injury to Vincent Kompany, who left the field with around 15 minutes to spare clutching his hamstring, having only just returned from a three-game layoff.

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Kompany’s injury record is a real concern for City, as he missed 15 matches last season and 10 the previous campaign. His status as far and away the club’s best defender and leader on the pitch means it’s a situation which continually destabilises them.

Edin Dzeko, too, looks set for more time on the sidelines after suffering a calf injury. He was lined up to start after his midweek return in Rome, but he injured himself in the warm-up, leaving young Jose Angel Pozo as their only option to lead the line at the King Power Stadium.

Pozo is a very talented young player with quick feet and a sharp footballing brain, yet right now he lacks the physicality needed to make the ball stick upfront when it’s played into forward areas.

With Sergio Aguero out for up to six weeks and Stevan Jovetic still struggling to string games together due to fitness issues, don’t be surprised if City try to pull off a move for a forward during the January transfer window, whether on a permanent deal or a creative loan move.

After the game, Pellegrini refused to rule out the possibility of bringing a player in during the window, and he also suggested Kompany and Dzeko are unlikely to play again until the new year.

"Vincent had a problem with his hamstring, which is why he didn’t play on Wednesday. Today he said he was fit to play, but he couldn’t finish the game,” Pellegrini said.

“We are without Dzeko, Aguero and Jovetic, for maybe more than a couple of weeks. We must see how long it takes Jovetic to recover. It is a difficult situation but we will see what is the best way for us to play."

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It was New York City FC loanee Frank Lampard who scored the decisive goal and further underlined his importance to this side. He’s been a revelation since his surprise move in the summer, and anyone who felt he was there to tick a home-grown quota box before returning to New York must surely have reconsidered their position.

He set Samir Nasri free on the left, and the Frenchman, who has been superb in recent weeks, managed to move past Wes Morgan and roll the ball across to an unmarked Lampard to tap home his 175th Premier League goal. The strike drew him level with the great Thierry Henry as the fourth-highest goalscorer in the competition since its rebrand in 1992.

Pellegrini’s management of Lampard has been outstanding. Rather than going backwards into a deeper role as his career has developed, like Steven Gerrard has done at Liverpool and the great Paul Scholes did in the final years of his time at Manchester United, Pellegrini has given Lampard licence to do what he’s always done, which is to play high up the field and try to arrive late into the box and score goals.

It’s working. He now has six goals in a City shirt, and his value to the side is clear. He may not play every game—he was taken off here after an hour to ensure he’s ready to face Crystal Palace in a week’s time—but if Pellegrini uses him correctly, which, so far, he most certainly has, City will benefit greatly from his experience and quality.

With his deal set to end in January, Pellegrini has made it clear he wants him to stay, a stance he reiterated after the game.

“When we made the decision for Frank to stay with us until December, I was sure he would be a very important player," the Chilean said. “We are very happy with him and we hope he can continue with us.”

Fernando, too, impressed again, fresh from his excellent display in Rome where he provided an impenetrable shield in front of City’s back four. His timely interceptions and tackles allowed City to continually regain control of the ball, leaving their array of creative stars room to play.

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City sat too deep for the final 10 minutes, inviting Leicester to attack when there should have been little danger, but the home side were restricted to half chances and Pellegrini will consider this another fairly comfortable 90 minutes.

After their disjointed period before the international break, City are now building some real momentum and have a number of players finding their best form. The Christmas period will be tough given the injury situation, particularly in attacking areas, but the determination they showed here will surely breed confidence going into a congested run of fixtures.   

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.