Benitez thrilled with Lampard form

9 February 2013 19:59

Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez says he is delighted with Frank Lampard's goal-scoring form but has no news regarding the midfielder's future.

The England international continued his great run in front of goal with another strike in the Blues' 4-1 win over Wigan at Stamford Bridge, pulling him to within four of Chelsea's all-time leading scorer Bobby Tambling, who netted 202 times.

Benitez heaped praise midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but remained coy on the Englishman's future beyond this season.

"In the last two months he has scored eight or nine goals, that's really pleasing for me. Lampard is fit, he understands the game, if he scores 20 goals and breaks the record I will be really pleased," he told reporters.

When asked how long the midfielder can continue playing for he jokingly replied: "If he is fit for Thursday, I'll be really pleased."

Benitez said his side did well to hold on to their lead during a nervy spell at 2-1 after Shaun Maloney had pulled one back for the visitors, and was pleased to welcome back some key personnel for the match.

"The possibility to use different players was much better for us, David Luiz and Eden Hazard (returned) so we could move Ramires to the right side, which was crucial for us because they were playing three at the back," he said.

"After you could change players, play (Juan) Mata, Yossi (Benayoun) and Marko Marin and they could make the difference, before we didn't have these options in some positions. Now we can manage the game in different ways."

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said he felt the scoreline flattered Chelsea, and that it was a product of their endeavour to attack for a point when only trailing by one goal.

He told Sky Sports: "We were always in the game. I think there were a couple of late goals where we left ourselves exposed because we wanted to get something out of the game, but we were well in the game and always looked dangerous at 2-1.

"In many ways I thought we showed many good things that will help us in the next 12 games.

"I think the big difference is that when you get into good positions you need to score, and the first Chelsea goal is a clear example of counter-attacking football.

"But overall we never lost the way we wanted to play and in a specific period of the second half we were unlucky not to get an equaliser."