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Sunderland climb off bottom of Premier League with 1-0 win over Chelsea

Nov 9, 1:03 AM2 min readCovered by 4 outlets

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AI Summary

Enzo Le Fée's penalty ends Sunderland's winless streak and lifts them off the bottom of the table as Chelsea drop out of the top four.

Enzo Le Fée scored a first-half penalty to give Sunderland a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light, moving the hosts off the bottom of the table.

Sunderland secured their first Premier League win since August on Sunday, ending a long winless run despite losing captain Granit Xhaka to injury only four minutes into the match. The winning goal came from the penalty spot in the 36th minute after Levi Colwill fouled Brian Brobbey. While The Guardian reported Enzo Le Fée sent Mike Penders the wrong way to score in the bottom-right corner, ESPN described the strike as being dispatched into the bottom-left.

Chelsea had an earlier penalty appeal of their own dismissed when a VAR check showed a foul on Cole Palmer took place outside the area. According to ESPN, Chelsea dominated possession in the second half but struggled to create clear chances. Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs remained largely untested as the visitors failed to find an equalizer and subsequently dropped out of the Premier League top four.

Régis Le Bris made eight changes to the Sunderland side that lost to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, including a league debut for Chemsdine Talbi. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso admitted his side did not produce enough to deserve a win, citing a lack of patience and creativity. Sky Sports noted that Chelsea appeared out-muscled by a Sunderland side that started the day in 20th place.

The result marks Sunderland's first three-point haul since a victory against Fulham in August. Although they remain in the relegation zone, the win lifts them above the foot of the table. For Chelsea, it was their fourth league defeat of the season, having struggled to find defensive solidity in the absence of the injured Joao Pedro.

Background

The victory mirrors Sunderland's win against Chelsea on the final day of last season, which secured their first European qualification in 53 years. Sunderland entered this match following a worrying run of form, including a midweek Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.