NYCFC makes math gaffe, honours Lampard prematurely

Prior to Thursday's match at Yankee Stadium between New York City FC and D.C. United, the hosts presented midfielder Frank Lampard with a commemorative kit and other offerings to mark his 300 career goals.

A celebratory affair went off without a hitch, except for the fact Lampard entered the match with 299 goals, and not the treble century the Eastern Conference table-toppers suggest. At least that's what the math wizards at Sky Sports claim, whose research revealed the former England international was one short of NYCFC's sum.

Sky Sports claim centres around a 1999 FA Cup draw when Lampard was at West Ham, where the Romford-born midfielder scored against Aston Villa, only for the match to be replayed because the Irons fielded an ineligible player, Emmanuel Omoyinmi.

Lampard ended up scoring again in the make up fixture, though his statistics for his tenure at Upton Park show that he had 39 goals with the club, when in fact he had 38.

While NYCFC hasn't responded to the claims of a mathematical miscue, Lampard quelled any speculation about his career numbers by scoring a late brace in a frenzied affair to vault Toronto FC for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Related: Lampard the hero with last-second goal to beat D.C. United