10/09/2005  Chelsea 2 Sunderland 0
 
Full-back Geremi broke the stalemate in the 53rd minute after the Wearsiders had managed to frustrate the reigning champions in the opening period.

Sunderland substitute Andy Welsh miscontrolled Kelvin Davis' throw out and the Chelsea defender nipped in to fire a 20-yard drive under the goalkeeper for the opener.

In the 82nd minute, fellow substitute Damien Duff crossed for Drogba, on as a replacement for the ineffective Hernan Crespo, to head the second.

Geremi's strike was the breakthrough Chelsea had been searching for after being kept at bay by the visitors in a dour first half.

The only real effort of note for the home side arrived in the sixth minute when Asier Del Horno tested Davis with a powerful left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area.

The Sunderland goalkeeper failed to hold the left-back's effort but the visitors escaped Crespo's follow-up attempt because the Argentinian striker was deemed to have strayed offside.

But as the opening period progressed, the reigning champions were restricted to the odd break out of defence but with Alan Stubbs and Gary Breen in an uncompromising mood, there was little joy for Crespo.

It was Michael Essien, the club's £24 million record signing from Lyon, who finally got Chelsea going.

In the 15th minute he rode two tackles before supplying Arjen Robben on the right and for the first time in the game, the Dutchman was able to use his trickery to bamboozle the visiting defence.

However, Robben's eventual shot was deflected to safety as Sunderland ensured their goal was well protected by numerous bodies.

But Chelsea's endeavours consistently floundered due to a combination of their own inability to provide a telling final pass and Sunderland's tenacious defending.

In the 29th minute a header from John Terry caused Davis some considerable discomfort under his own crossbar but William Gallas was flagged offside to the relief of the Sunderland 'keeper.

Sunderland, yet to earn a point from their previous four games back in the top flight, were producing a performance which clearly belied their status at the foot of the table.

Mick McCarthy's side were not content to merely hold the champions at bay and striker John Stead was unlucky to see a fine run into the penalty area come to nothing when he was eventually muscled off the ball by Chelsea's defence.

Mourinho was less than satisfied with the first half display and introduced Duff in place of Eidur Gudjohnsen for the restart.

England midfielder Frank Lampard, whose form had been the subject of much talk leading up to the game, was again finding it difficult to reproduce the kind of powerhouse performance which typified his game last season.

The former West Ham midfielder was unable to make any impact on the game and many of his passes were off target - to the frustration of both fans and team-mates alike.

But in the 50th minute only the width of the Sunderland crossbar prevented a 25-yard Lampard blockbuster beating Davis.

The efforts appeared to act as the catalyst for a renewed attacking surge from the home side and their renewed impetus brought them success in bizarre fashion in the 53rd minute.

It arrived courtesy of some comical Sunderland play after goalkeeper Davis collected a high ball and immediately elected to throw the ball to Welsh in the left-back position.

However, the substitute lost control, an error which was firmly punished by Geremi who seized possession and drove a low shot into the far corner of the net.

Seconds later Drogba replaced Crespo in attack and Wright-Phillips was substituted in favour of Cole as Chelsea took a firm grip on proceedings.

In the 62nd minute, Robben was unlucky not to double Chelsea's advantage when he skipped past Welsh and Julio Arca into the penalty area but his shot from an acute angle was straight at Davis when the unmarked Drogba was calling for a pass into the middle.

Six minutes later Cole tried his luck from 20 yards and almost confused Davis with a swerving effort which the Sunderland goalkeeper could only parry away.

Drogba sealed victory eight minutes from time when he headed into the corner of the net from Duff's left-wing cross.

But the manner of the victory was far from convincing and another worry for Mourinho ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game with Anderlecht was a late thigh injury to Del Horno which reduced Chelsea to 10 men for the last three minutes.