The Hindu : Sport / Football : Sunderland hammers Chelsea

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Sunderland hammers Chelsea

London: Chelsea's lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to two points as the champion suffered a stunning 3-0 home defeat against Sunderland, while Arsenal moved into second place with a 2-1 win at Everton on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti's side was without the injured John Terry and Frank Lampard, as well as the suspended Michael Essien, and Sunderland took full advantage with a superb display.

Nedum Onuoha opened the scoring for Steve Bruce's side with a fine solo effort at the stroke of half-time before Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck netted in the second half.

It was Chelsea's first home league defeat of the season — and Sunderland's first away success — and ended a bad week for the Blues, which was rocked by the sudden sacking of assistant coach Ray Wilkins in midweek.

Bacary Sagna scored his first goal in two years to help Arsenal claim second place in the Premier League.

French full back Sagna and captain Cesc Fabregas struck to put Arsenal in command before a last-minute Tim Cahill strike set up a tense finale.

Arsene Wenger's side held on and moved a point above Manchester United to keep the pressure on leader Chelsea.

Liverpool shocked

Goals from Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones saw Stoke end visiting Liverpool's six-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 in Saturday's late match while earlier Tottenham Hotspur hammered Blackburn Rovers.

At Eastlands, Manchester City again failed to sparkle, drawing 0-0 with Birmingham City, despite a switch to a 4-2-3-1 system with David Silva used behind Carlos Tevez.

Tevez had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside and James Milner had a shot cleared off the line, but City lacked guile.

City's fans for the first time erupted into obvious dissent against manager Roberto Mancini, booing the substitution of Tevez and chanting the name of Craig Bellamy, who was forced out of the club in the summer.

The results: On Sunday: Chelsea 0 lost to Sunderland 3 (Onuoha 45, Gyan 52, Welbeck 87); Everton 1 (Cahill 89) lost to Arsenal 2 (Sagna 36, Fabregas 48); On Saturday: Stoke 2 (Ricardo Fuller 55, Kenwyne Jones 90) bt Liverpool 0 . — Agencies

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