Chelsea created enough chances but looked like drawing their second successive blank

Chelsea created enough chances, but looked like drawing their second successive blank. It was quickly given to Mark Hughes who curled a pass inside to Di Matteo 25 yards out. He shrugged off a challenge from Nick Barmby before driving the ball low inside Alan Miller’s right-hand post.
Victory was just about deserved. Di Matteo, watched by almost as many Italian media as English, struck with four minutes left of a disintegrating contest. Emerson, the Brazilian who had done so much to overthrow Chelsea’s first-half dominance, gave away a throw-in. Would it be Gianluca Vialli? Or would it be Fabrizio Ravanelli? In the event it was their compatriot, the less celebrated Roberto Di Matteo, who won the battle of the Italians at Stamford Bridge last night. An otherwise quiet Matt Le Tissier, in front of the watching England manager, Glenn Hoddle, pulled one back from the penalty spot, but Leicester held on after the Saints’ Barry Venison had been sent off..

Quinn converted Paul Bracewell’s cross with a powerful header and then Richard Ord met Martin Scott’s corner with another emphatic header.At Filbert Street, Leicester City were indebted to their promising youngster, Emile Heskey, who scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Southampton. Sunderland struck again when Kevin Ball challenged Mark Crossley for Steve Chettle’s underhit back-pass and the goalkeeper’s clearance cannoned off the knee of a bemused Quinn to roll into the net.Alf Inge Haland nodded in Forest’s goal after a Stuart Pearce shot had been blocked but Sunderland hit back with two more goals before the break. The Republic of Ireland striker – signed from Manchester City last week – found the net twice on his full debut for his new club, during an opening 45 minutes which produced all five goals.
Michael Gray opened the scoring by cutting in from the left flank to curl in a sweet shot with the outside of his left foot. Substitutes not used: Kimble, Blackwell, Heald (gk).Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley)..

Niall Quinn inspired Sunderland to an emphatic 4-1 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last night as the Roker Park men showed that they intend to be more than mere Premiership cannon-fodder this season. Substitutes not used: Peacock, Gillespie, Beardsley, Hislop (gk).Wimbledon (4-4-2): Sullivan; Cunningham, McAllister, Perry, Thatcher; Ardley, Earle, Jones, Leonhardsen (Gayle, 84); Holdsworth (Euell, 80), Clarke. “We’ve been slow to start this season,” he said, “but maybe we’ll be better finishers.”Newcastle United (4-3-3): Srnicek; Watson, Howey, Albert, Elliott; Ginola, Batty, Lee; Asprilla (Clark, 82), Shearer, Ferdinand. The first came in the third minute when David Batty chipped over the hapless Sullivan from 35 yards. It suggested that perhaps the great pretenders are starting to learn from the occupants of the Premiership throne.Just as one swallow does not a summer make, the first sighting of Magpie success is no guarantee of a glorious season But Keegan was happy enough. The substitute had been standing in an offside position and the referee, Stephen Lodge, ignored protests as he whistled for a free-kick to the relieved home side.It was the second costly blunder of the night by a Wimbledon player.