Chelsea blew open the Premier League title race by ending Manchester City's unbeaten start to the season, defeating the leader 2-1 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a late penalty by substitute Frank Lampard. City was down to 10 men after Gael Clichy's sending-off in the 58th minute when fellow defender Joleon Lescott blocked Daniel Sturridge's shot with his hand, giving Lampard the opportunity to smash home the winner from the spot in the 82nd. It was City's first league loss since May last season — a run of 17 games — and trimmed its lead to two points from Manchester United, with resurgent Chelsea now back in the title hunt a further five points back in third after its third straight victory. “It's a gratifying win,” Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said. “Seven points behind, with so many teams challenging for the title, is nothing.” City had taken the lead after just two minutes through Italy striker Mario Balotelli's eighth goal of the season and was unfortunate not to add a second goal amid a dominant opening half hour, when Spain playmaker David Silva was denied a penalty after appearing to be fouled by Jose Bosingwa. Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles equalized in the 34th as Chelsea fought back, tightening up its midfield to stifle the effervescent Silva and Yaya Toure, and then took charge after Clichy's red card for two bookings in a 12-minute span. “We didn't score enough in the first half and then the game changed after the sending-off. It became difficult,” City manager Roberto Mancini said. With Tottenham level on points with Chelsea and fifth-place Arsenal only two further back, the top five are separated by nine points after 15 games. It sets up an exciting second half of the season. City, with its expensively assembled team of stars, will still be regarded by many as the title favorite but will rue losing control of a match it started so well. “Chelsea were really lucky in this game,” Mancini said. “We are disappointed with this defeat but we have time to recover.” Having already dispatched Manchester United 6-1 and Tottenham 5-1 on its travels this season, City's commanding start suggested another title contender was going to be on the end of a hammering by Mancini's free-scoring team. But it was not to be. Victory, meanwhile, eased the pressure on the Portuguese after five defeats in a nine-match spell between the end of October and the end of November. Now, following 3-0 wins over Newcastle United in the Premier League and Valencia in the Champions League which sent them into the last 16, Chelsea appears to be back on track.
