Manchester City 0 Chelsea 1: City regain pride but Lampard takes the points

Chelsea played in black and, given the sombre air around Stuart Pearce's Manchester City career, it seemed appropriate. But even though Jose Mourinho's side edged a little closer to Manchester United they did not give Pearce the manager the last rites: this was not quite the dire City performance to force his board's hand.

That was not much to cling to as his team's run of defeats stretched to five but there is no shame in losing to the defending Premiership champions, even if City's first shot on target came in the 94th minute. Frank Lampard's penalty decided the match and while Chelsea were comfortable it was not the kind of performance to strike fear into the other half of Manchester's football community.

Another anguished night for the benighted blue half of the city. A point would have ended the slippage towards the relegation places, still only six points away, but also have sent United on the home straight to the title. Chelsea closed the gap to six points on the leaders before Mourinho left Manchester without offering his opinion: he has managed to keep his self-imposed media blackout for a full 24 hours.

"There's no way you can put a performance in like that with a split in the camp," Pearce said. "We are under the microscope and the only thing that will alleviate it is us winning a game. The endeavour pleased me and we have to take that into the weekend."

They were fighting words, like the fist that Pearce raised to the face of Georgios Samaras before he sent the £6m Greek striker on in the closing stages. Samaras was booed all the same by some elements of the home support but at least they had a cheer for Shaun Wright-Phillips, playing for the first time at City since he left for £21m almost two years ago. With his second touch he hit the bar.

On the whole this was a dreadful game and, for City, Darius Vassell and Emile Mpenza were anonymous in attack. John Terry played for the first time since his head injury in the Carling Cup final. "The belief is there, it's an important three points," he said. "I'm glad to be back and involved in such a good team performance."

Sterner tests await Chelsea on their travels, although there was no doubting they looked solid in defence, even with Geremi the latest to be installed at right-back. They have had some thrilling, symbolic victories in the North-west over Mourinho's reign: this was not one of them.

Joey Barton is almost certain not to feature in Steve McClaren's England squad announced tomorrow, but he provided the most substantial resistance. He failed miserably in trying to con a penalty out of Alan Wiley with a stumble into Geremi, but otherwise was his usual belligerent self, the prime mover behind City's best work.

The Lampard penalty was the game's only true moment of controversy, a very tight call from Wiley which took more than a couple of replays to analyse and even then seemed beyond a definitive answer.

Micah Richards had looked impressive on the right side of a back three for City but when Salomon Kalou was given the chance to run at him for the first time, the 18-year-old found himself turned to the inside and then the outside. It was as Kalou appeared to get round him the two clashed and the Ivorian went to ground rather too easily.

Was it a penalty? It was the tightest of calls but Kalou seemed to be falling before Richards made any real contact and dragged his feet into the ground to help his stumble. That the ball was gone by the time Richards made contact did not help his case. Lampard stroked the ball assertively past Andreas Isaksson for his 11th Premiership goal of the season.

Pearce was back on the edge of his training area for the second half, this time having discarded his tracksuit top in favour of short sleeves while Mourinho stuck with the overcoat and sweater. Certainly, when the ball came over to his side of the pitch the demonstrative City manager seemed virtually a participant in this game, in mind if not in body.

They survived what would have been a killer Chelsea goal before the hour. Robben looped the ball over City's ragged back line which did not come close to catching Lampard offside, he pulled it down and lobbed Isaksson. Only Richards prevented the ball from bouncing into the net.

Another distinguished City performer was Richard Dunne, who twice chased down Kalou when the winger seemed to have him beaten for pace. It was Dunne who had recently called upon some of City's foreign signings to stand up and be counted and he certainly led by example. But by the end it was difficult to remember a shot Petr Cech had to save.

Goal: Lampard pen (28) 0-1.

Manchester City (3-5-2 ): Isaksson; Richards, Dunne, Distin; Sun Jihai (Miller, 63), Barton, Hamann (Dabo, 80), Ireland, Ball; Vassell (Samaras, 73), Mpenza. Substitutes not used: Hart (gk), Dickov.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2 ): Cech; Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Makelele (Diarra, 90); Robben (Wright-Phillips, 78), Lampard, Ballack; Kalou, Drogba. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Shevchenko, Boulahrouz.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).

Booked: Manchester City Hamann, Dunne, Richards; Chelsea Geremi, Drogba, Ballack.

Man of the match: Terry.

Attendance: 39,429.