Sunderland took the upper-hand in the 2015-16 relegation battle with a defiant 3-2 win over the now ex-Premier League champions Chelsea.
There was a do-or-die atmosphere around the Stadium of Light, with the window closing on the Black Cats’ time to seal their top-flight survival for next season. Diego Costa’s tight-angled classy finish in the 14th minute opened the scoring, but did little to dent the determination of the hosts, with Wahbi Khazri and Fabio Borini looking particularly inspired when given the chance to move forward. Indeed, it was the Tunisian who put the game back on level terms with a spectacular volley from just outside the box, yet a slip at the back from Lamine Kone would allow Nemanja Matic to put Chelsea’s second goal through on the stroke of halftime.
The second-half was full of the same grit and intensity, with Sam Allardyce’s men taking and returning every punch from the visiting heavyweights. When Costa missed two one-on-one opportunities against Vito Mannone after the restart, the feeling was there that this was Sunderland’s chance.
The Black Cats equalised for the second time in the 67th from a Borini strike across goal which received the slightest of deflections and just three minutes later would take the lead, when the veteran Jermain Defoe made no mistake of finishing a cross that was let through by Baba Rahman.
With the attempts at a late Chelsea comeback marred by a red card for a reckless John Terry in the final moments of the contest, Sunderland recorded a crucial and memorable win, which sees them one point ahead of Newcastle above the drop zone, holding a game in hand ahead of the campaign’s final week.
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Blue engine starting to stutter
In a game where the London giants came up just that little bit short, one of the only consistently reliable figures of their tumultuous season was uncharacteristically a few steps behind the pace. After carrying the team through some near-disasters, playmaker Willian’s tank looked to finally be running dry, struggling the get involved out wide when Chelsea were on the break. While the Brazilian did sting the fingers of Mannone with a free-kick, he provided just the one cross over the 90 minutes and failed to generate any dangerous space before being substituted for the last 10 minutes.
It is a sign that the combination of their current standing and the stage of the season is leaving even the most dependable of players in blue low on motivation, ultimately outworked by a Sunderland side with more worth fighting for.
Big Sam doing it again
It was never really pretty at any time, yet once more Sam Allardyce is rescuing a ship on the brink of capsising and barring a disaster, will have Sunderland playing Premier League football in 2016-17. A manager who can bring the best out of players in these survival situations, the 61-year-old produced the club’s first home win over Chelsea since the turn of the millennium to put one foot firmly out of the relegation zone.
With an extra game to play and a one point advantage over Newcastle in 18th spot, the Mackems can just about rest easy their fierce rivals play Tottenham on the final day of the season.
Chelsea preparing for the end
The second-half of the season did see improvement under the squad after Jose Mourinho’s departure, yet once the glimmer was taken away with the end of Guus Hiddink’s undefeated streak, the Blues have returned to the mantle of 2015-16’s worst under performers – typified by beatings from relegation candidates. Everyone involved at Stamford Bridge, as well as the Chelsea fans, must have an eye on next weekend and the relief that will come with the end of this horrid title defence, yet from there only instability awaits as bodies are sure to be cleared upon the arrival of Antonio Conte.
This defeat would probably have meant more for the dethroned Londoners in any other season, yet as a part of this disappointing story it is just one of the final pages.
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