Sunderland climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table after Enzo Le Fee scored a pivotal penalty to secure a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
The win delivers crucial breathing room for manager Regis Le Bris, whose position was under intense scrutiny following a disappointing 2-0 Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.
Two controversial refereeing calls in the first half proved decisive.
Chelsea expressed outrage after VAR determined that a Luke O’Nien foul on Cole Palmer occurred just outside the penalty box, rendering it unreviewable for a spot-kick.
Moments later, the referee awarded Sunderland a penalty after Levi Colwill grappled with Brian Brobbey in the area.
Le Fee calmly converted the 35th-minute penalty past Mike Penders to deliver Sunderland just their second league win of the season.
Sunderland’s defence effectively neutralised Palmer and Morgan Rogers, while Chelsea clearly missed the presence of injured forward Joao Pedro.
The defeat marks Chelsea’s fourth loss in 10 league matches under manager Xabi Alonso, leaving the Blues in fifth place and two points adrift of the top four heading into the international break.
