toptop

Chelsea closed the gap on Manchester United and piled the pressure on Stuart Pearce with a 1-0 win over Manchester City at Eastlands on Wednesday night.

Frank Lampard's first-half penalty proved to be enough to give Chelsea the points and inflict another defeat on beleaguered City.

The win reduces United's lead at the top of the table to six points and another boost for Chelsea was the successful return of captain John Terry who came through the 90 minutes after recovering from his head injury.

City started on the front foot as they looked to set upon Chelsea from the first whistle.

Joey Barton had the first opportunity of the game on six minutes when Terry's clearance fell to him on the edge of the area and the City midfielder fired his half-volley over the top.

Chelsea fashioned their first opening on 11 minutes with Arjen Robben firing wildly over the crossbar after some neat build-up play involving Didier Drogba and Lampard.

Stephen Ireland had a half chance for City on 25 minutes when he latched onto a loose ball inside the box, but he could direct his effort on target.

Chelsea won a penalty on 27 minutes when Micah Richards brought down Salomon Kalou inside the box.

Lampard took responsibility from the spot and he sent Andreas Isaksson the wrong way to register his 20th goal of the season.

Barton tried to rouse his team-mates when he went on a run before going down in the box under pressure from Claude Makelele, but his penalty claims were waved away by referee Alan Wiley.

Barton looked the man most likely to get City back in the contest and he fizzed a shot just wide of the far post on 38 minutes.

Right on the stroke of half-time Petr Cech had a lucky escape when he missed Michael Ball's long throw-in into the box and was relieved to see it bounce away to safety.

Chelsea created the first opening of the second half on 51 minutes when Terry rose highest to meet Lampard's corner, but he could not get enough contact on his header and Isaksson was able to gather the ball.

Richards came to City's rescue and atoned for his penalty mistake on 57 minutes when he headed Lampard's shot off the line after the England international latched onto Robben's clever pass and lifted a shot over Isaksson.

Chelsea suffered a scare soon after when Terry went down under a challenge Sun Jihai and he returned to the action limping with an apparent ankle injury.

Jose Mourinho brought on former City favourite Shaun Wright-Phillips on 77 minutes and the winger almost came back to haunt his old club when he smashed a shot from fully 30 yards out off the crossbar with his first touch.

Barton had City's best chance of the second half nine minutes from time when Ireland played in his midfield partner on the edge of the box, but the England international dragged his shot wide of the target.

Drogba forced Isaksson into a good save four minutes from time when Makelele picked him out inside the box and the striker fired in a shot which the City goalkeeper did well to push out.

Michael Ballack almost grabbed a second goal for Chelsea in the dying seconds when Isaksson turned his free-kick from the edge of the box round the post.

Teams

Manchester City  Isaksson, Richards, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Jihai (Miller 63), Ireland, Barton, Hamann (Dabo 80), Mpenza, Vassell (Samaras 72)
Subs Not Used  Hart, Dickov
Booked  Hamann, Dunne, Richards

Chelsea Cech, Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, A. Cole, Robben (Wright-Phillips 77), Ballack, Lampard, Makelele (Diarra 90), Kalou, Drogba
Subs Not Used  Cudicini, Shevchenko, Boulahrouz
Booked  Drogba, Ballack
Goals  Lampard 28 pen

Attendance  39,429

Referee  A Wiley (Staffordshire)