Torres brace gives Blues victory

Fernando Torres handed Rafael Benitez a first Barclays Premier League victory as Chelsea manager as he ended his personal drought in style with a 3-1 win at Sunderland.

The Spaniard capped a powerful start for the Blues by firing them into an 11th-minute lead - scoring his first league goal since October 6 - and he made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time by converting a penalty awarded for Sebastian Larsson's trip on Ramires.

Only the woodwork prevented him from completing a hat-trick inside 49 minutes, but Juan Mata rifled in the loose ball to end the game as a contest. Adam Johnson scored Sunderland's consolation in the 66th minute.

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