By Steve Wilson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
Barclays Premier League
- Venue: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Saturday, 14 January
- Kick-off: 1500 GMT
- Coverage: Watch live highlights on Match of the Day; listen on Absolute Radio, BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
Live text and stats
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Premier League
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 1-0 | Sunderland | L |
CHELSEA
SUNDERLAND
Possession
- Chelsea 53%
- Sunderland 47%
- 30:18 The ball is crossed by Ramires, Fernando Torres takes a shot. Blocked by Matthew Kilgallon.
- 27:10 Free kick awarded for a foul by Frank Lampard on Phillip Bardsley. Phillip Bardsley restarts play with the free kick.
- 25:49 Unfair challenge on David Luiz by David Vaughan results in a free kick. Direct effort from the free kick comes in from Juan Mata, save made by Simon Mignolet.
- 24:51 Shot from long distance by David Luiz goes wide of the left-hand upright.
- 24:36 Juan Mata takes a shot. Blocked by Frank Lampard.
- 21:10 Lee Cattermole concedes a free kick for a foul on Frank Lampard. Direct free kick taken by John Terry.
- 18:58 David Vaughan fouled by Fernando Torres, the ref awards a free kick. Phillip Bardsley takes the free kick.
- Correction – 16:14 Corner from the left by-line taken by Juan Mata, Frank Lampard takes a shot. Clearance by Sebastian Larsson. Corner taken left-footed by Juan Mata from the left by-line, clearance made by Matthew Kilgallon.
- 16:14 Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Juan Mata, Frank Lampard takes a shot. Sebastian Larsson manages to make a clearance. Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Juan Mata from the left by-line.
- 15:29 Nicklas Bendtner takes a shot. Save by Petr Cech.
- 14:21 Unfair challenge on Phillip Bardsley by Oriol Romeu results in a free kick. John O’Shea restarts play with the free kick.
- 12:25 Assist by Fernando Torres.
- 12:25 GOAL – Frank Lampard:Chelsea 1 – 0 Sunderland Frank Lampard scores a goal from inside the six-yard box to the bottom left corner of the goal. Chelsea 1-0 Sunderland.
- 12:20 Fernando Torres takes a shot.
- Correction – 11:55 Shot by Raul Meireles. Blocked by John O’Shea.
- 11:55 Raul Meireles has an effort at goal. John O’Shea gets a block in.
- 10:09 Headed effort from inside the area by Fernando Torres misses to the right of the target.
- 7:38 Direct effort from the free kick comes in from Sebastian Larsson, save made by Petr Cech.
- 7:38 Booking Booking for David Luiz.
- 7:32 David Luiz challenges Nicklas Bendtner unfairly and gives away a free kick.
- 5:27 Nicklas Bendtner gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Ashley Cole. Fernando Torres takes the direct free kick.
- 4:02 Corner from the right by-line taken by Juan Mata, Frank Lampard takes a shot. Phillip Bardsley gets a block in. Header on goal by Frank Lampard from inside the box goes harmlessly over the target.
- 0:00 The referee gets the game started.
Live text and data provided by The Press Association.
John Terry hurt his right knee after colliding with a goalpost
TEAM NEWS
Chelsea’s John Terry and Daniel Sturridge are both fit, but Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba have left for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Florent Malouda is doubtful, while Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel remain out, but Michael Essien could be in contention at Norwich next weekend.
Sunderland hope Nicklas Bendtner will be able to play, while Phil Bardsley and Connor Wickham could also return.
Fraizer Campbell is fit but Wes Brown, Jack Colback and Titus Bramble are out.
MATCH PREVIEW
I have just seen a copy of Sunderland’s travel itinerary to Stamford Bridge and it seems Martin O’Neill is planning on walking up the Wear and down the Tyne to Newcastle airport before flying, unaided and faster than a speeding bullet, all the way to London. For Sunderland fans the Irishman is indeed a miracle worker and Superman rolled into one.
Chelsea may soon begin to look like outsiders in the race to finish in the top four
The stats are impressive. Sunderland have won five of his seven games in charge – they won five of the last 20 before his arrival. They have taken 13 points from his first six Premier League games – it took 15 league games to win their previous 13 points.
They were 18th when O’Neill selected his first Sunderland side – they are now 10th. They were going to be relegated before he came along – now they’ll win the league. Actually I made that last bit up.
Nevertheless, a Sunderland win at Stamford Bridge would raise fewer eyebrows now than it did last season when Steve Bruce’s side stuck three past Petr Cech without reply, still Chelsea’s biggest home defeat for almost a decade.
Chelsea have only won four of their last nine home games across all competitions and may soon begin to look like outsiders in the race to finish in the top four. If Andre Villas-Boas has Roman Abramovich’s permission, or even his stated instructions, to break up an experienced squad and start again then he should survive. If he does not then his job is on the line.
Given that Abramovich has never said anything of any great interest in public about his views on Chelsea, it is impossible to tell what might happen. Suffice to say that either some of the senior professionals will have left by next season, or the manager will have gone. In the meantime a return to form cannot come soon enough.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Chelsea have won 13 of their last 14 games against Sunderland, netting a total of 40 goals.
- The Black Cats had lost 11 matches in a row against the Blues until their 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge last season. That result was only their second league win away to Chelsea in the last 55 years.
- The last six meetings have produced five goals scored in the 90th minute or later.
Chelsea
- The Blues have kept one clean sheet in their last 12 league games at Stamford Bridge.
- Fernando Torres has failed to score in his last 15 appearances for club and country.
- Chelsea have already lost three Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge – the last season in which they suffered four defeats was 2001-02, when they finished sixth.
Sunderland
- Martin O’Neill has taken charge of 21 matches against Chelsea (W3, D7, L11), but has never won a game at Stamford Bridge.
- The Black Cats have won five of seven league and cup games since O’Neill took charge, losing only once (at Tottenham).
- The last time Sunderland won three successive Premier League games was in April 2008.