Lampard shows all his experience by winning a corner out of nothing and Chelsea will see this one out now.
90' +5
J. Altidore gets yellow.
Sunderland huff and puff in the final third, a few crosses are fired into the box but no Sunderland forward is able to get to the deliveries. Chelsea are hanging on!
CHANCE! Adam Johnson has a chance to shoot with his left after a dazzling run from Ki! But the winger hesitates to get it on his stronger side before giving the ball back to Ki, who slips as he tries to shoot!
90' +4
Lampard threads a super ball through the for Hazard by Dossena stays with the Belgian and makes a great challenge. Sunderland on the counterattack...
90' +2
The introduction of Andre Schurrle has injected some impetus into the Chelsea attack. The German almost dribbles his way into the box but is stopped in his tracks by Brown.
90'
A. Schürrle enters the game and replaces Willian.
Willian gets yellow.
89'
CHANCE! The ball almost falls to Ba in the box as Chelsea look for a fifth. The crowd roars as the fourth official signals for six added minutes.
87'
A crazy couple of minutes as Bardsley scores at both ends. Some home fans had rushed out after Chelsea's fourth, probably regretting that decision now.
86'
P. Bardsley has scored a goal for Sunderland!
GOAL! Bardsley again! This time into his own net. 4-3!
Another corner Chelsea fail to deal with and this time at the right end Bardsley hammers home from inside the six-yard box. Game on?!
84'
P. Bardsley is unfortunate, scores an own goal!
GOAL! Poor, poor defending. Bardsley turns the ball into his own net to seal the points for Chelsea. 4-2.
Demba Ba broke down the right, he crossed looking for Ramires but Bardsley slid in to put it past his own keeper at the back post. All but over at the Stadium of Light.
82'
CHANCE! Great play from Adam Johnson on the right flank to wriggle past Azpilicueta and get his cross in! Petr Cech comes flying off his line to punch half clear before Mikel finishes the job. Nervous moments for the visitors.
Minute
Description
81'
M. Obi enters the game and replaces Mata.
80'
S. Fletcher enters the game and replaces C. Gardner.
CLOSE! Ramires charges through a couple of challenges and bursts into the box. His right-footed strike whistles past the post though. Great play from the Brazilian.
79'
Hazard turns Ki intelligently and earns a free kick right on the corner of the penalty box. Juan Mata's cross into te box is headed away by Altidore.
77'
Chelsea knocking the ball around cannily with Sunderland struggling to get a touch. A good move ends with a shot from Ba which is struck high and wide. Not at all handsome.
75'
CONTROVERSY! Strong claims for a free kick as Ivanovic stumbles into Borini but nothing is given by Phil Dowd. Gus Poyet is incensed on the touchline.
73'
CHANCE! Demba Ba slips has he shoots following some fine approach play from Eden Hazard. The Senagalese looks at the referee but Phil Dowd is not having any of it.
71'
Ironic cheers from the home crowd as subsitute Ba slips over after chasing the ball. The tempo has drained right out of this contest now.
69'
Good ball into box from Borini finds Altidore, but he can only flick it away from goal. Chelsea have eased off a little and Sunderland have some possession, the Black Cats can't find any penetration though.
67'
Jozy Altidore is punished for an over zealous challenge on Azpilicueta which leaves the Spaniard down. He'll need to replicate his first half display if Sunderland are to claw their way back into this one more time.
65'
A. Johnson enters the game and replaces E. Giaccherini.
D. Ba enters the game and replaces Fernando Torres.
The Blues look like they could get a third as Hazard finds Willian, who then finds Mata and but the Spaniard's shot is charged down. Super response from the Blues.
62'
E. Hazard has scored a goal for Chelsea! Assist by F. Lampard.
E. Hazard gets yellow.
GOAL! Chelsea are back in the lead and it's Eden Hazard again with a sensational effort!
Lampard exchanges passes with Hazard before the little Belgian drives across the box. firing home past the once-again helpless Westwood. Stunning from Hazard, again.
60'
A long-range set-piece is hit wayward from Sebastian Larsson, wasting a good chance for the hosts. Another which soon follows finds O'Shea, his flick finds Borini but his shot is charged down.
58'
S. Larsson enters the game and replaces J. Colback.
GREAT SAVE! Great save from Mannone to deny Hazard and then Torres goes for goal but finds the back of the north stand instead.
56'
Almost a chance for the hosts but Gary Cahill is there to make an important interception to prevent Craig Gardner getting through on goal.
54'
Mourinho doesn't look like a happy man on the sidelines as Hazard wins free kick. Probably because Lampard whips it in and it is poor and Giaccherini clears.
52'
Willian leads Chelsea counter, he finds Torres on the right and he puts excellent ball into the box but nobody is there. Chelsea do get a corner but it comes to nothing.
51'
J. Colback gets yellow.
50'
J. O'Shea has scored a goal for Sunderland!
GOAL! John O'Shea fires Sunderland back onto level terms! 2-2!
Out of nowhere Sunderland are level! Craig Gardner's corner is not dealt with by the Blues and is allowed to get all the way through to the Irishman, who did well to control his right-footed strike and find the bottom corner in a crowded penalty box.
49'
Altidore, who has been brilliant tonight, does well to swivel past Ramires and burst down the left flank. The Brazilian cynically trips him up and finds himself in the referee's book.
48'
Ramires gets yellow.
47'
Torres wins a free kick on the left flank but Lampard's ball into the area is easily dealt with. Chelsea have started the second half on the front foot.
46'
Chelsea take the kick-off to get the second period underway. Can Sunderland work they way back into this one?
45' +2
P. Bardsley gets yellow.
Hazard is at it again, he dribbles past Bardsley, again, this time the Sunderland man brings him down. The free kick, right near the corner flag, is swung into the box but Sunderland manage to clear.
45' +1
There'll be two minutes of added time. Chelsea are again on the attack with, who else, but Eden Hazard orchestrating things. The Belgian wins a corner, which he then takes but the hosts do well to push the visitors away from goal.
45'
Hazard is menacing on the front foot again but Sunderland win the ball and launch a counterattack. The momentum breaks down as Gardner miscues a ball out to the flank. Good chance to level before the break, squandered.
43'
Sunderland string together a couple of passes but Colback's cross which follows is well read by Ivanovic ahead of Altidore. The Serbian calmy heads back to his goalkeeper and Chelsea regroup.
41'
CHANCE! Great chance for Torres with a long ball over the top, he brings it down well but O'Shea is there to snuff it out and Sunderland clear - should have been 3-1.
39'
A. Dossena gets yellow.
Worrying moments for Chelsea as Juan Mata stays down after a strong challenge from Dossena. The Spaniard looks in agony and he clutches his back.
37'
GOAL! A magnificent effort from Eden Hazard gives Chelsea the lead! 2-1.
36'
E. Hazard has scored a goal for Chelsea!
It's superb goal from Eden Hazard who has been Chelsea's best player so far. He adds to his earlier assist by dancing down the right flank and cutting in onto his right foot. The Belgian wrapped a shot low and hard into the bottom corner from the edge of the area leaving Westwood stunned.
35'
CHANCE! A couple of blocked shots from close range for Sunderland from a corner. Wes Brown had the best look at the ball but the blues did well to close down the hosts.
33'
A Chelsea corner is swung into the box by Juan Mata and the ball falls nicely for Fernando Torres. Unfortunately the Spaniard blazes his half-volley well over the bar.
32'
Awful. The corner is played in short and low and is easily cut out by Hazard at the front post. One from the training ground I presume, but the Sunderland players didn't look ready for it.
31'
A bit of a break in the game as the rhythm is interrupted by a series of free kicks and throw ins. Sunderland have plenty of positives and don't look like they'll settle for a drow. Dossena's long-range effort is touched past the post for a corner...
29'
Altidore again does brilliantly to hold the ball up and bring his team-mates into play. Dossena eventually crosses from the right for the hosts but Gary Cahill makes a timely intervention to avert the danger.
27'
The free kick taken by Gardner comes to nothing and Chelsea are soon on the attack. Frank Lampard winds up another long-range shot but this one is dragged wide of Westwood's post.
25'
Altidore again wins another free kick with some impressive hold up play. Giaccherini was impededed as he latched on to the loose ball.
24'
Lampard and Hazard combine on the edge of the box and the Englishman puts ball to back post for Torres but again Brown is too strong. Chelsea look the more likely side to open the scoring.
22'
Giaccherini shows some quality in his dribbling beating a few Chelsea players in succession. Craig Gardner then crosses from the right flank but it's easily cut out by Cech.
20'
Sunderland are doing well to keep Chelsea at an arm's length at the moment but with the quality in the visitor's midfield, it's only a matter of time before they create another chance. Ramires has a weak penalty claim dismissed by Phil Dowd.
17'
F. Lampard has scored a goal for Chelsea! Assist by E. Hazard.
CHANCE! Willian picks out Juan Mata inside the box with a delightful little ball but the Spaniard's attempted cutback is cut out by Wes Brown.
GOAL! Frank Lampard equalises for Chelsea! 1-1.
Frank Lampard stretches his tally as Chelsea's all-time record goalscorer with an emphatic header. The England international timed a late run into the six-yard box, to meet Eden Hazard's clipped cross, wonderfully.
16'
Mourinho's men have reacted well to going behind but they now are up against a Sunderland defence with something to protect.
14'
J. Altidore has scored a goal for Sunderland! Assist by J. Colback.
GOAL! Jozy Altidore makes it 1-0 to Sunderland!
The free kick is taken short and fed in to Jozy Altidore inside the box. The American outmuscles Cahill and manages to turn in the box before firing a powerful left-footed shot past Petr Cech and into the corner of the net.
13'
John O'Shea anticipates the danger and snuffs out a Chelsea attack. The Black Cats push forward as Altidore sets up Giaccherini for a shot. The Italian scuffs his volley but the American wins a free kick.
11'
CLOSE! Frank Lampard is found by Eden Hazard at the edge of the box and the Chelsea veteran's shot is only just wide.
10'
Jose Mourinho's men have settled and look like they are controlling proceedings now. Eden Hazard again looks threatening. Sunderland can't keep the ball when they get the chance, at the moment.
8'
First signs of quality from the Blues as Eden Hazard and Willian show off their ability in the middle of the park. The shot by Hazard which follows is hit high and wide.
6'
Another Mata cross from the right is swung in, this time from a free kick. Sunderland deal with it easily and construct an attack of their own. Ramires eventually makes an intervention when Colback hesitates on the ball.
4'
CHANCE! John Terry gives a free kick away in his own half but Chelsea quickly win the ball back. Juan Mata drifts to the right hand side and crosses with the left foot, only just missing Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres in the area.
2'
A confident start from Sunderland as Chelsea apply pressure high up the pitch. Willian wins the ball for the visitors but Poyet's men soon have it back. Altidore injects some pace into a move which ends with a decent effort from Borini across the face off the goal.
1'
Sunderland take the kick-off and we are underway at the Stadium of Light!
Good evening ladies and gents! Welcome to play-by-play coverage of Sunderland v Chelsea at the Stadium of Light LIVE!
First up, here is your team news for tonight's action...
He's not been there too long but, Gus Poyet has a 100% record at the Stadium of Light since taking over, winning three out of three games in all competitions.
Another stat to give Sunderland some hope, only seven of Chelsea's 24 league goals this season have been scored away from home.
So Jozy Altidore and Jack Colback replace Steven Fletcher and Seb Larsson for Gus Poyet's side. They both drop down to the bench. For Chelsea Frank Lampard and Willian replace Michael Essien and Oscar from their match against Southampton.
Wes Brown is the key man for the hosts. They conceded on average more than two goals a game without the former Manchester United defender. With him, they concede on average less than a goal a game.
Big night for another former England international defender. John Terry makes his 600th appearance for Chelsea.
Chelsea's topscorer, Oscar, doesn't feature in the starting line-up for Jose Mourinho's side tonight. Where will the goals come from?
The teams have emerged from the tunnel and we are moments away from the action.
HALF-TIME: Sunderland 1-2 Chelsea
Quite an exhilarating first half to warm up the Stadium of Light on the blistering cold night. Eden Hazard has been the star of the show so far. He helped cancel out Jozy Altidore's opening goal with a fine cross for Lampard to head home, before finding the second himself. An exquisite shot from the edge of the area into the corner of the net.
FULL-TIME: Sunderland 3-4 Chelsea
What a game, a seven-goal thriller at the Stadium of Light. Eden Hazard was the star of the show, he gave Bardsley a torrid night and was involved in everything good about the Blues. Bardsley summed up a manic finish when he followed an own-goal up with an actual goal late on. Chelsea were worth the victory but Sunderland can take plenty of heart from the fight they put up.
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