Liverpool loanee Fabio Borini boosted
his parent club's Premier League title
bid as Sunderland claimed a shock 2-1
win at Chelsea.
Borini, who was once on the books at
Stamford Bridge, converted an 82nd-
minute penalty after Cesar Azpilicueta
had fouled substitute Jozy Altidore to
end Jose Mourinho's 77-match
unbeaten run in home league
encounters as Chelsea boss.
It is the second time this week that
Sunderland have bolstered Liverpool's
cause following the 2-2 midweek draw
with third-placed Manchester City.
And the result simultaneously
provided a huge lift to the survival
chances of Gus Poyet's side, who are
now only three points from safety.
Having scored a brace in Wednesday's
encounter at the Etihad Stadium,
Connor Wickham struck in the 18th
minute to cancel out a Samuel Eto'o
opener for Chelsea.
An error from Vito Mannone had
handed City a point but Chelsea found
Sunderland's goalkeeper in superb
form as he produced an inspired string
of saves before half-time.
Eto'o and substitute Demba Ba
spurned chances in the second period
before Borini struck - meaning that
Liverpool can now open up a five-
point cushion ahead of the top two's
crunch meeting at Anfield next week if
they beat Norwich City in Sunday's
early kick-off.
Chelsea went into the match boasting
nine consecutive home clean sheets -
a record that 41-year-old goalkeeper
Mark Schwarzer had to protect on his
Premier League debut, with Petr Cech
laid low by a virus.
The veteran Australian watched Borini
fire a seventh-minute drive wide
following some impressive hold-up
play from Wickham.
Eto'o was then denied by a perfectly
timed sliding tackle from Santiago
Vergini but responded to volley home
the resulting 12th-minute corner.
The lead was soon wiped out, though,
when Schwarzer spilled Marcos
Alonso's dipping drive and Wickham
reacted quicker than John Terry to
convert the rebound.
Slack set-piece marking almost
undermined Sunderland again in the
37th minute but Mannone grasped
Branislav Ivanovic's header at the
second attempt via the crossbar.
There was little let up for the Italian
goalkeeper as half-time approached
and he produced impressive saves to
thwart Willian and Nemanja Matic from
close quarters.
In the 44th minute, after Mannone
had parried from Willian, Sebastian
Larsson out-muscled Ramires as the
Brazilian looked to convert into an
empty net.
Perhaps still suffering the frustration
of that incident, Ramires was then
fortunate to escape punishment when
he struck Larsson with his elbow.
A breathless opening period concluded
when Chelsea defender Azpilicueta
made a last-ditch challenge to deny
Adam Johnson having conceded
possession to the Sunderland winger.
Chances continued to flow for Chelsea
and Eto'o guided the ball wide after
Willian had driven forward on the
counter-attack in the 48th minute.
Mourinho sent on Ba in place of the
ineffective Oscar but the player who
netted vital goals in the recent
triumphs over Paris St Germain and
Swansea City found the Midas touch
had deserted him, losing his footing
when trying to get on the end of
Willian's 66th-minute cutback with the
goal gaping.
Sunderland weathered further
pressure before Azpilicueta clumsily
bundled Altidore to the floor and
Borini stole the points from the spot
with eight minutes left.
Poyet's team remain bottom of the
table but three of their four remaining
games are at home against fellow
strugglers Cardiff City, West Brom,
Swansea City.
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