Fernando Torres scores for Chelsea again

Posted on December 9, 2012 by SoccerPunter

After suffering from an inconsistent form and lack of goals in his Chelsea career, Fernando Torres scored twice to inspire Chelsea to a 3-1 victory at Sunderland in English Premier League. He was on the score sheet for the second consecutive matches, following the mid week Champions League demolition of Nordsjaelland.

New manager Rafael Benitez has given Torres his fullest support by instructing the Chelsea players to create more opportunities for the Spanish striker.  After firing blanks in the first three matches of Benitez management, Torres finally break the goal drought.

After crashing out from Champions League, Chelsea will focus their attention to win the English Premier League this season.

His first-half double at the Stadium of Light was far more significant as it secured Chelsea‘s first win in their last eight Premier League games and gave the former Atletico Madrid star his first league goals for two months.

Juan Mata got Chelsea’s third goal soon after half-time and, although Adam Johnson got one back for Sunderland, the win moved Benitez‘s side to within four points of second-placed Manchester City.

For Sunderland, yet another home defeat has piled further pressure on Martin O’Neill, whose side tumbled into the bottom three for the first time this season following their dismal run of one win in their last 10 league matches.

There was a poise and purpose about Chelsea’s early play, as exemplified by the slick second-minute move that might have resulted in a penalty when Seb Larsson appeared to pull back Eden Hazard in the area.

Sunderland breathed another sigh of relief when Simon Mignolet saved at the feet of Torres after John O’Shea’s wayward defensive header teed up the Spaniard on the corner of the six-yard box, but Chelsea did not have to wait much longer for the opening goal.

It was an especially sweet moment for Torres, who ended a Premier League barren spell of 12-and-a-half hours when he converted Hazard’s cross with an instinctive volley.

The Belgian delivered a teasing centre from the left, and Torres stole between O’Shea and full-back Danny Rose to volley home.

Sunderland had barely mustered a threat at that stage, and while the hosts enjoyed a brief spell of pressure midway through the first half, they rarely looked like troubling a Chelsea defence still denied the services of the injured John Terry.

Petr Cech produced a smart parry to deny Stephane Sessegnon after the Benin international had raced on to Connor Wickham’s flick-on, but there was a sense of inevitability when Chelsea doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time.

Larsson needlessly fouled Ramires in the corner of the area, and Torres calmly converted from the spot to claim his fourth goal of the week.

He could hardly have come closer to his fifth four minutes into the second half, drilling a fierce strike against the top of the left-hand post after Phil Bardsley’s failure to control the ball in his own area proved costly.

Fortunately, from a Chelsea perspective, Spanish midfielder Mata was on hand to convert the rebound and extend the visitors’ lead.

Sunderland briefly threatened a fightback when Johnson drilled a low finish past Cech in the 66th minute, but the result was never in doubt despite Craig Gardner hitting the crossbar in stoppage-time.