Sunderland 1-0 Chelsea: Black Cats move off the bottom after Le Fee spot-kick

Sunderland moved from the bottom of the Premier League as Enzo Le Fee’s first-half penalty gave them a 1-0 win Chelsea.

The Black Cats could have been in for a difficult afternoon when Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka was sent off after three minutes with an injury.

While there will be concerns about his skipper’s fitness heading into the international break, under-pressure manager Regis Le Bris will have been delighted with the resilience his side showed to bounce back from a dispiriting Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb to claim their first league win since August.

It arrived in controversial circumstances, with Chelsea sure to have complaints about the penalty that decided it, awarded for a Levi Colwill foul on Brian Brobbey after the Blues had been denied a point of their own at the other end.

Le Fee calmly converted and it was enough for the hosts as Chelsea struggled to threaten Robin Roefs’ goal despite dominating possession.

Defeat sees Chelsea drop out of the top four, while Sunderland remain in the relegation zone. However, they can head into the international break with renewed optimism that they can steer clear of danger in the coming months.

More to follow

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