Premier League - Chelsea cruise to win at Sunderland

Eurosport - Wed, 19 Aug 10:11:00 2009

Chelsea staged a second-half fight-back to win 3-1 at Sunderland and make it two Premier League wins out of two this season.

FOOTBALL Deco celebrates scoring Chelsea's third goal in their 3-1 Premier League win at Sunderland - 0

The hosts led at the break after Darren Bent's second goal in two Sunderland games.

But strikes from Michael Ballack and Deco (pictured) sandwiched a Frank Lampard penalty to give the Blues a win they deserved on the balance of play.

Chelsea controlled the pace of the game but failed to turn their first-half dominance into clear-cut chances.

Deco, Ballack and Salomon Kalou put frequent balls into the box, while Ashley Cole and a marauding Jose Bosingwa provided good width from full-back.

But Sunderland defended deep and crowded out Didier Drogba while the combative Lee Cattermole snapped at the heels of Chelsea's midfield.

The hosts took the sensible approach of sitting back and living off scraps to hit Chelsea on the break, which also played to the strengths of forward duo Kenywne Jones and Bent.

It was this combination that gave them the lead on 19 minutes. A throw on the left was worked centrally for Kieran Richardson to step over the ball. Jones attempted to hold it up on the edge of the box and - while the Trinidadian failed in his initial brief - the loose ball took a lucky bounce off John Terry to give Bent a free run at goal.

The former Charlton and Ipswich striker, with a point to prove after being frozen out at Tottenham, added to his opening-day goal with a cool, low finish past Petr Cech.

Chelsea, predictably, piled on the pressure but there was no end result.

Profligate finishing played a part - Ballack, Lampard, Kalou and Bosingwa all put well over from good positions.

Bad luck did not help - Deco had one excellent shot swing just past the post, while several dangerous ball ricocheted around the Sunderland box but either finished wide or at the feet of grateful defenders.

Sunderland also helped themselves with resilient defending - Phil Bardsley and George McCartney made vital blocks while keeper Marton Fulop pulled out a close-range save after a galloping run and shot by Bosingwa.

The second half saw Chelsea continue where they left off and, six minutes in, Carlo Ancelotti's side eventually made their own luck when Ballack slid the ball into the bottom right after Branislav Ivanovic flicked on Lampard's corner.

While there was no real difference in the rhythm and level of Chelsea's second-half performance, they looked more dangerous in front of goal.

Drogba was inches away from converting after a scintillating counter-attack saw Cole aim a superb cross from the left wing that the big striker stooped to meet when he should have dived.

They were ahead by the hour mark after McCartney's clumsy challenge checked Drogba's run past Lorik Cana into the box: Lampard rifled an unstoppable penalty into the bottom left and Chelsea were cruising.

The West Londoners continued to boss Sunderland, for whom the introduction of Fraizer Campbell for Jones added little - the former Manchester United trainee barely touched the ball.

Drogba somehow headed over after a move identical to that which saw him miss Cole's cross but, while he failed to score, the rejuvenated Ivorian had a hand in the third and final goal.

A slick passing move saw Drogba free Bosingwa on the right, who in turn fed Deco.

As Sunderland expected a cross, the Brazilian-born Portugal international - frozen out at Stamford Bridge since his arrival last season - cut inside and unleashed a swerving, dipping drive that flew across Fulop and rebounded off the inside of the left-hand post to put the game beyond the Black Cats.

Sunderland all but gave up as the match wound down to a comfortable win after a rather uncomfortable first half for Chelsea.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

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  1. mr melvin I've told you before my left knacker is­ itchy can you nibble it please

    From jack torrance, on Thu 20 Aug 4:23PM

  2. i dont give a @#$%! i went to the match, i played my­ part, who cares about the mugs that did not turn up!
    i­ will support sunderland no matter what!!!! RED AND­ WHITE ARMY - ROAD TO EUROPE!

    From Sean A, on Thu 20 Aug 1:46PM

  3. This latest 'Stat' is highly humorous.. A­ league lower, playing Sheff Wed and we still get more­ in SJP.. than 'Stadium of Light's Off'­ against the best Premiership Team!! Ho-Ho-Ho.. I should­ of stayed in 'TOON' longer this evening!

    From Mark, on Thu 20 Aug 12:01AM

  4. YOU SAD B@S TARDS CAN'T EVEN GET A DECENT CROWD IN­ YOUR STUPID PLAGIARISED NAMED GROUND FOR A " BIG­ GAME ." WE ARE IN THE " FIZZY LEAGUE "­ AND WE HAVE BETTER ATTENDANCES THAN YOU IDIOTS. COME­ ON. ADMIT IT. YOU ARE NOBODY'S. YOU SUB HUMAN @#$%

    From SHAUN, on Wed 19 Aug 11:40PM

  5. it gonna be a nervous game this saturday againts­ blackburn!
    i say sunderland will win 3-0!
    road to­ europe !!!!

    From Sean A, on Wed 19 Aug 5:49PM

  6. we cant have any complaints about last nights game.we­ were simply outclassed & so will most of prem lge­ teams when they face chelsea. we dont have to play­ them every week. i for one t5hought we looked a lot­ stronger unit than last season. we have four or five­ games coming up which will tell us wether we have­ improved. keep the faith.
    SUNDERLAND TILL I DIE !!!!

    From weavster, on Wed 19 Aug 3:55PM

  7. WE R UNSTOPPABLE, CHELSEA TILL I DIE, NO 1S GONNA BEAT­ US!

    From malcolm.fieldsend, on Wed 19 Aug 2:38PM

  8. grant741 in reply to your post i agree....but i also­ have to state that...we were very competative...yes top­ five and in europe we also where in some of the other­ cup finals....yes Abrom millions helped....but we were­ stilla very good footie team and the millions pushed us­ to where we are now.....people will always have­ negative things to say...last i checked none of the­ other top 4 clubs who where dominating for­ years.....got players form the sunday lges on a free or­ walked off a park from hackney to help them become­ champs and heros among us mere mortal's.......EVERY­ CLUB HAS SPENT MONEY AND IF U COMPARE ALL THAT HAS BEEN­ SPENT CHELSEA DOES NOT COMPARE TO THE OTHER TOP 3­ clubs.

    From Bobby, on Wed 19 Aug 11:35AM

  9. Badger of the Republic of Mancunia -

    what are you­ ranting on about.......jeez who ruffled your feathers­ this morning.....lol
    dude take a chill pill.......man u­ are champs till the final day of the season...no need­ for the vulgar langugue lol
    oh and have some­ weetabix....before u come on here mate.....this is a­ debate site for footie fans not right wing­ extremist..lol

    From Bobby, on Wed 19 Aug 11:21AM

  10. From sirstevejones11 105 - you are an­ illitrate.......and so are every one of your mates who­ are members, its funny how you lot keep on harping­ about how the british people will be extinct in years­ to come....how many countries did the british empire ,­ maime, kill rape, steal and make extinct, great britain­ is still recieving money from the formar colonised­ countries and has started many wars to satidfy their­ own means....
    every one here is proud to be­ british......and have gladly fight for her.....just­ caint understand why u useless diffs need to spread­ that @#$%....my view its only fear..this is a football­ page mate keep your @#$% off it.....way to go chelsea­ and sunderland great game to watch­ yesterday...(ps)....why is darren bent not given the­ chance to show how good he is.....?

    From Bobby, on Wed 19 Aug 11:16AM

  11. We started well enough going 1-0 up but then we just­­ stopped playing!! The last 15 mins of the first half­­ and the whole 2nd half was like us saying, there you­ go­ Chelsea you have the ball pass it around your­ world­ class team and get back into the game at your­ leisure,­ you could see it was only a matter for time­ before they­ got back into the game, disappointed we­ couldn't­ push or at least try to push for a second­ after­ scoring. In all honesty Chelsea were excellent­ and I­ never really expected to get anything from the­ game so­ fair play to them and they'll probably win­ the­ league this year. We also had last years defence­­ playing and I suspect changes soon in the back 4 with­­ the recent defensive signings. Bring on Blackburn­­ which I expect we will get something from. SAFC

    From g.lounton, on Wed 19 Aug 10:46AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    SMB

    From Neil, on Wed 19 Aug 10:26AM

  13. sirstevejones11 - You f***ing moron! Who gives you the­ right to say who can go where and when? As long as­ people input in to society then I believe anyone should­ be allowed to go anywhere. If you're problem is­ people coming here and living on the Dole then­ that's about work ethics, not race. Now crawl back­ to the prehistoric hole you can from.

    Anyway, this is­ a football site....

    From davepickles32, on Wed 19 Aug 10:19AM

  14. Love the irony, the one time Drogba didn't dive was­ the time he should have.

    kernneth m; I agree with­ everything you say.

    sirstevejones11; you belong in a­ toilet. You are everything that's wrong with­ Britain. If you don't like the people living in­ this country, go elsewhere. You have no divine right to­ say who should and shouldn't live here. Why­ don't you go pick on the unemployed, they deserve­ it. Or are you one of their number?

    From Phil, on Wed 19 Aug 10:15AM

  15. @sirstevejones11 ....if ur useless forefathers have­­­ stayed back at their shores and not invade­­­ Africa..stealing and looting our treasures and­­­ culture...then mayb we would have stayed back in our­­­ society....u brought this upon ur selves..Britian­­­ colonise many countries..stole their wealth..changed­­­ their beliefs..and u open ur racist and useless mouth­­ to say we­ immigrants invade ur country..USA and­ canada­ offer­ citizenship..Britain have nothing all u­ do is­ MILK poor­ immigrants through taxes...if we all­­ go..your­ government will collapse cos ur economy is­­ dependant on­ TAXES..stolen from the so called­­ immigrants...u are a­ FOOL..ur government are wiser­­ thats y they open their­ gates to immigrants...they­­ need TAXES...FOOL...

    what have u contributed to ur­­ lovely country....not even to ur immediate family..u­­ are a FAILURE...u ve FAILED ur family,,and failed ur­­ Country..people like u are waiting on the line to milk­­ ur government and collect BENEFITS...FOOL...dont­­ panick..hahahahah..immigrants wount stop ur­­ benefits..grow up lazy old man and be useful to ur­­ country..FOOL!

    From Kenneth, on Wed 19 Aug 10:02AM

  16. GOOD START KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM

    From Sydney, on Wed 19 Aug 9:57AM

  17. MALCOLM D, should have gone to specsavers :)

    From hall529, on Wed 19 Aug 9:57AM

  18. Oh dear, Looking good Mackems. PMSL.

    From Guanche, on Wed 19 Aug 9:56AM

  19. Darren Bent might not be a world beater, but 2 goals in­ 2 this year and a good goal to game ratio last season­ show he can't be a bad player. I have no idea why­ he was never given a chance to shine at Tottenham

    From davepickles32, on Wed 19 Aug 9:49AM

  20. If it was last year Chelsea would have won 6-0 with all­ the chances they had, We (Sunderland)are looking­ tighter in defence this year, without a doubt...

    From Eddy, on Wed 19 Aug 9:46AM
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