Chelsea 3 - 1 Sunderland
At the end of the week where so much has changed for Chelsea came a
display from those in blue which felt somewhat familiar. They soared to
an early 2-0 lead with a display brimming with verve and vigour, drive
and desire – everything, basically, that has been lacking from team for
most of this season – and having gone 3-0 up just after half-time looked
on course for a comfortable victory. But then Sunderland
scored and those old nerves crept in alongside a sense of uncertainly.
José Mourinho may have gone but the champions puzzling problems remain.
Mourinho spent the day at the Amex Arena watching Middlesbrough, managed by his former assistant at Real Madrid, Aitor Karanka, record a 3-0 win against Brighton but will no doubt having been keeping tabs on events here and one can only imagine how he reacted upon hearing Chelsea had scored twice inside 13 minutes, through Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro, and deserved to lead by more come the half-time whistle. The word” betrayal” may well have been used again.
The fury was also felt here by the home spectators, who as well as chanting Mourinho’s name during this contest also held aloft a range of banners declaring their love for their former leader and disgust with the attitude of those in blue. Cesc Fàbregas and Diego Costa’s names were booed prior to kick-off and then after Pedro had scored came the first chant of “Where where you when we were shit?” from every corner of this stadium.
It was poisonous stuff and extremely strange as a group of spectators became increasingly irritated by the sight of their team playing well. It was also something for Guus Hiddink to mull over as he watched alongside Roman Abramovich, and Didier Drogba, in the Russian owner’s box having been confirmed Chelsea’s interim manager for a second time in six years earlier in the day. The Dutchman will now be aware he is stepping into a club at war with itself but no doubt he will have taken encouragement by the way they performed up until the moment Oscar scored via a 50th minute penalty. The hosts were excellent, with Fàbregas and Nemanja Matic driving them on from midfield and Willian, Oscar and Pedro a blur of movement behind the more focused Costa.
But
then came Fabio Borini’s 53th- minute strike after Thibaut Courtois had
failed to properly deal with Younès Kaboul’s close-range header and
suddenly Sunderland were back in the game. Borini, who had come on as a
half-time substitute, almost scored again on 56 minutes before the
excellent Duncan Watmore almost capitialised after more uncertainly from
Courtois.
Assistant coach Steve Holland, who was in charge for this match, made two changes to the team that lost at Leicester on Monday, with Fàbregas coming in for Ramires and, more notably, Pedro starting in place of Eden Hazard. That hip injury was real after all.
Sam Allardyce made three changes to his Sunderland team with Kaboul returning from injury. Jack Rodwell and Jermain Defoe also started in the manager’s now favoured 3-5-2 formation.
It was a defensive system aimed at avoiding a third successive defeat but those plans were pretty much were torn to shred inside five minutes after Ivanovic met Willian’s right-sided corner with a header that saw the ball fly into the top of the net. Pedro also scored from close-range soon after when Sebastián Coates had failed to properly deal with Ivanovic’s low cross. The visitors were being overwhelmed by those in blue and it came as no major surprise when Allardyce reacted by taking off Coates, the most overwhelmed of those in red and white, on 23 minutes, brought on Adam Johnson and reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Still Chelsea kept coming, however. Oscar and Costa both went close and it appeared only a matter of time before the hosts scored again. The third goal did come via Oscar five minutes after half-time after Costel Pantilimon had wiped out Willian inside the area and that should have been that. But it was not, and ultimately there was some relief from the majority of those in attendance and Chelsea had first victory in four league games, and one that takes them up to 15th.
Sunderland, with one away win all season, remain 19th. Chelsea’s new-old era is off and running, then, but there is a lot of work for Hiddink to do upon his return to these parts. Among his task is to pacify a crowd who for all the backing they clearly showed their team they furious with the sacking of the manager who only seven months ago brought the title back to Stamford Bridge. He has gone but is clearly not forgotten.
Mourinho spent the day at the Amex Arena watching Middlesbrough, managed by his former assistant at Real Madrid, Aitor Karanka, record a 3-0 win against Brighton but will no doubt having been keeping tabs on events here and one can only imagine how he reacted upon hearing Chelsea had scored twice inside 13 minutes, through Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro, and deserved to lead by more come the half-time whistle. The word” betrayal” may well have been used again.
The fury was also felt here by the home spectators, who as well as chanting Mourinho’s name during this contest also held aloft a range of banners declaring their love for their former leader and disgust with the attitude of those in blue. Cesc Fàbregas and Diego Costa’s names were booed prior to kick-off and then after Pedro had scored came the first chant of “Where where you when we were shit?” from every corner of this stadium.
It was poisonous stuff and extremely strange as a group of spectators became increasingly irritated by the sight of their team playing well. It was also something for Guus Hiddink to mull over as he watched alongside Roman Abramovich, and Didier Drogba, in the Russian owner’s box having been confirmed Chelsea’s interim manager for a second time in six years earlier in the day. The Dutchman will now be aware he is stepping into a club at war with itself but no doubt he will have taken encouragement by the way they performed up until the moment Oscar scored via a 50th minute penalty. The hosts were excellent, with Fàbregas and Nemanja Matic driving them on from midfield and Willian, Oscar and Pedro a blur of movement behind the more focused Costa.
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Assistant coach Steve Holland, who was in charge for this match, made two changes to the team that lost at Leicester on Monday, with Fàbregas coming in for Ramires and, more notably, Pedro starting in place of Eden Hazard. That hip injury was real after all.
Sam Allardyce made three changes to his Sunderland team with Kaboul returning from injury. Jack Rodwell and Jermain Defoe also started in the manager’s now favoured 3-5-2 formation.
It was a defensive system aimed at avoiding a third successive defeat but those plans were pretty much were torn to shred inside five minutes after Ivanovic met Willian’s right-sided corner with a header that saw the ball fly into the top of the net. Pedro also scored from close-range soon after when Sebastián Coates had failed to properly deal with Ivanovic’s low cross. The visitors were being overwhelmed by those in blue and it came as no major surprise when Allardyce reacted by taking off Coates, the most overwhelmed of those in red and white, on 23 minutes, brought on Adam Johnson and reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Still Chelsea kept coming, however. Oscar and Costa both went close and it appeared only a matter of time before the hosts scored again. The third goal did come via Oscar five minutes after half-time after Costel Pantilimon had wiped out Willian inside the area and that should have been that. But it was not, and ultimately there was some relief from the majority of those in attendance and Chelsea had first victory in four league games, and one that takes them up to 15th.
Sunderland, with one away win all season, remain 19th. Chelsea’s new-old era is off and running, then, but there is a lot of work for Hiddink to do upon his return to these parts. Among his task is to pacify a crowd who for all the backing they clearly showed their team they furious with the sacking of the manager who only seven months ago brought the title back to Stamford Bridge. He has gone but is clearly not forgotten.
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