Premier League: Chelsea 1 Sunderland 0

Chelsea battled to a narrow 1-0 win over a wasteful Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, with Frank Lampard scoring the game’s only goal.

The home side got off to a great start with a Lampard goal after Fernando Torres hit the bar, but Sunderland struggled to convert the chances they were presented with.

The visitors almost started the game perfectly as Stephane Sessegnon surged down the right before beating Ashley Cole and flashing the ball across the goal, but Jose Bosingwa was able to clear the ball before James McClean could find the net.

Chelsea took the lead with just over ten minutes played when an acrobatic Torres effort cannoned back off the bar, with Lampard on hand to guide the ball home from close range.

Sunderland managed to get themselves back into the contest despite the early setback, but their best chance was spurned as Nicklas Bendtner got on the end of Sessegnon’s clever pass before shooting just past the far post.

With six minutes to go until half-time, Torres went relatively close once again, this time from outside the area as the former Liverpool man struck a shoot from distance that whistled past the left post.

The second half started in a similar vein to the first as Sessegnon tried his luck with a half-volley, but it was fairly comfortable for Petr Cech.

Mignolet almost gifted Chelsea a second as the goalkeeper dropped Ashley Cole’s low cross into the path of Ramires, but the Brazilian failed to anticipate the mistake.

Sunderland’s best chance of the match came in the 62nd minute as Seb Larsson marched down the right-wing before sliding a ball towards the back-post for James McClean, but the 22 year-old was caught by surprise and put his effort wide from five yards out.

Craig Gardner should have secured a point in the dying moments as Sessegnon found him across the goal, but the midfielder put wide from close range.

Bendtner then pushed an injury-time effort wide when through on goal, as Sunderland were left to rue their profligacy.