PAUL SCHOLES has riled Chelsea fans after claiming Phil Foden is a "better footballer" than Frank Lampard ever was.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola labelled Foden, 23, the "best player in the Premier League" after his two goals helped the champions beat rivals Manchester United 3-1 on Sunday.
The England international has contributed 18 goals and 10 assists in 40 games so far this season and is now one of the favourites to win the PFA Player of the Year award - an honour Lampard claimed in 2005.
He is also seeking to win a sixth Premier League title before his 24th birthday - to go with his Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups and Club World Cup.
By comparison, Chelsea icon Lampard, 45, won three league titles, the Champions League, Europa League, four FA Cups and two League Cups.
But Foden still has some way to go to match the Blues legend's numbers, with Lampard racking up 211 goals and 145 assists in 648 games for the West London club.
The former Chelsea manager, who is the club's all-time top scorer, also earned 106 England caps, scoring 29 goals and assisting 12.
Foden has 78 goals and 51 assists in 257 matches for Man City, along with four goals and eight assists in 31 appearances for his country.
Yet despite the disparity in Foden's current numbers, Man Utd icon Scholes, 49, who was often compared to Lampard himself, believes the Man City man is a more complete player than his former England team-mate ever was.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, he said: "Look, he’s a better footballer than Frank Lampard but Frank Lampard scored goals and won leagues for his club from midfield.
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"You expect centre-forwards to do it. Haaland, you just expect his numbers, you expect Michael’s [Owen] numbers when the team is doing well.
"But from a midfield point of view, you’ve really got to take the game by the scruff of the neck and say: 'Right, I’m going to get us back into this game, I’m going to win us leagues, I’m going to win us games'.
"I think Frank Lampard was like that and I think Phil Foden is starting to do that, goals-wise.
"Look, Phil Foden is a much better footballer than Frank Lampard was, don’t get me wrong, but Frank won leagues for his team because of the contribution he made in midfield, in big games especially.
"And with Phil Foden I think we’re seeing the same type of thing."
Chelsea fans were bitterly unhappy with Scholes' claim as they took to social media to vent their frustrations.
One said: "Still pained Lampard dominated their generation. Old scars."
Another added: "All these United legend are useless, always talking nonsense about Chelsea all the time."
A third replied: "Where does Paul Scholes fit into this conversation? Because Lampard was way better than him😅 Even Phil knows he is no where near Lampard yet!"
While a fourth responded: "I think by 'better football' he meant 'more skilful on the ball'. The stats show, year in, year out, Frank was the better football. By far."
And a fifth said: "Pathetic from Scholes Such ideas are not well thought.
"Foden is a youngster with POTENTIAL but to be comparing his ability to a legend who achieved what he achieved by showing HIGH LEVEL INTELLIGENCE, TECHNIQUE and CONSISTENCY, is so unwise…
"So far Foden is showing that he has the potential to be a great player but there is so much more left for him to achieve and to do consistently."
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