Chelsea 0 - 3 Sunderland ; Champs made to look like chumps

• zocoss

  15 Nov 10, 09:57

  Chelsea 0 Sunderland 3: Black Cats spring surprise of the season with stunning win at Stamford Bridge to dent leaders

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  RAY WILKINS is too much of a gentleman to revel in this astonishing Chelsea drubbing.

  But for the rest of us on the outside looking in, there was an overwhelming feeling that the Blues got exactly what they deserved for having ruthlessly dumped their popular assistant manager last week.

  The decision has done nothing for dressing-room harmony. And it is no exaggeration to say that Audley Harrison put up more of a fight than Chelsea did.

  The Blues had a 100 per cent home league record before yesterday, six wins out of six. But the roof caved in as they suffered their biggest home league defeat since being beaten 3-0 by Manchester United in April 2002, before even Roman Abramovich took over.

  These were also the first league goals conceded at Stamford Bridge since John Carew scored for Aston Villa last March and their first home defeat in the top flight since being beaten 4-2 by Manchester City nine months ago.

  It was not the start promoted coach Paul Clement would have wanted as he stood by Carlo Ancelotti's side instead of Wilkins.

   

  

  Angry: Ancelotti says Sunday's defeat was the worst of his Chelsea career

   

   

  Ancelotti says he had a squad good enough to win the title and that when key players were missing, they had the quality in depth to cope.

  He must be joking. Chelsea were without their first-choice central defensive partnership of Alex and John Terry, the skipper having pulled out with a sciatic nerve problem. In midfield there was no Michael Essien or Frank Lampard.

  In the middle of the back four, Paulo Ferreira and Branislav Ivanovic were pulled to pieces by the terrific twosome of Ghanaian star Asamoah Gyan and on-loan Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck.

  In midfield for Chelsea, £18m Brazilian Ramires was woeful.

   

  

  Bad day at the office: Drogba and Co were soundly beaten by Sunderland

   

   

  Sunderland were hammered 5-1 at Newcastle only a fortnight ago and back in January conceded seven in the corresponding fixture.

  No one saw this coming, especially not the bookies, who rated Sunderland's chances of winning by this score at 250-1.

  But Steve Bruce's side deserved it - make no mistake - and Petr Cech also had to make a number of cracking saves.

  His stop to keep out 19-year-old Welbeck's header on 36 minutes was top drawer.

  Then Gyan played a ball over Ferreira's head and Cech saved with his outstretched right foot from Welbeck again.

  Sunderland kept on coming and Ivanovic was lucky to get only a yellow after tripping Welbeck as he raced towards goal. Bruce was going mad about that one.

  On the stroke of half-time the visitors got their just reward and Ferreira was caught out again as he let Gyan through.

  The Ghanaian's shot was parried by Cech and the keeper got up quickly to save Kieran Richardson's follow-up.

  However, when the ball came back in, Ivanovic only headed out as far as Nedum Onuoha and the on-loan Manchester City defender went on a fantastic mazy run past Mikel, Jose Bosingwa and Ivanovic before tucking his shot into the corner.

  By 52 minutes, Sunderland were two ahead thanks to another stunner with Welbeck feeding England new-boy Jordan Henderson, who played it first time to Gyan and he coolly slotted past Cech.

  Cue a celebration dance for a fourth goal in three games by the confident striker.

  Up front for Chelsea, Didier Drogba must have dreamed of such service.

  Perhaps they should have got watching US tennis star Andy Roddick out of the stands. He is famous for his service.

  Drogba revealed last week how he had been suffering from malaria and frankly it looked like his whole team had been infected.

  Craig Gordon was virtually unemployed and it was no great surprise that Sunderland scored again three minutes from time.

  Ashley Cole, usually so dependable, tried a ridiculous pass back to Cech and Welbeck nipped in to slip it into the far corner.

  For Bruce it was his first Premier League win in London for six years and what a contrast to the battered figure who sloped away distraught from St James' Park after being destroyed by the enemy in that derby game.

  The downside for Bruce is on this form there is no question of him getting Onuoha or Welbeck on the books permanently. They will be going back to Manchester.

  You wonder how City and United can afford to be without them.

  
  
• omgukilledkenny

  15 Nov 10, 11:26

  Lol. I honestly didn't expect Sunderland to get anything from this match

  Andy Gray mentioned that the odds were 250:1 for Sunderland to win 3-0.

  If not for Cech, the margin of victory would have been much wider...and Ivanovic should have been sent off for bringing down Welbeck imo.

  I don't know if Ray Wilkin's departure had anything to do with this, but the Chelsea defence was really in tatters. Maybe they just missed JT.

   

   

• mrwonderful

  15 Nov 10, 12:56

  italian coaches suck. this was a problem brewing in the making.

  he only has 2 decent CBs in his squad and never bought a third one for backup. wastes the transfer $ on benayoun and children.

  burma is a CB but he opt to play with ferriera instead. along with ivanovic also as CB. really a moron.

  ivanovic like vidic, when he is last man and opponent thru he will just try to trip him or push him. usually gets a red card and goes home

  and mikel, ramires suck, this everybody knows. crap DMs. why he always starts with the child ramires is a mystery.

  and above all this, still keeps saying chelsea has depth and all that crap. this chelsea team facing sunderland had like FIVE 2nd team players IMO, and obviously they sucked.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  15 Nov 10, 14:27

   Nice display by the Onuoha

   

  and Gyan lolx..

   

  and Ashley Cole

• zocoss

  15 Nov 10, 15:43

  This result is so unexpected that after the Arsenal match, I switched to another channel cos I totally expected Chelsea to stroll through the park with this one... You know, home match, they haven't lost before this season, their good form, together with Sunderland's recent poor form, they just got thrash by Newcastle 5-1, no Bent for this match... What more can one expect except an easy Chelsea win right? So you can imagine this morning when I check the result... What a pleasant surprise it turn out to be... Totally unexpected, so can't blame the bookies having odds like 250-1 kind cos I doubt many would bet a 3-0 Sunderland win. It's like throwing money into the sea if you place that bet... Anyway, Arsenal now putting the pressure on Chelsea... Not even sure if Chelsea can stay top of the table by Christmas cos next week is away to Birmingham which would be kind of a tough match... I rather Chelsea win it than Arsenal if United don't make it... Let's hope Arsenal drop more points...
• sg123123

  15 Nov 10, 16:13

  Haha... for those who don't like chelsea you might want to watch them get thrashed here @ http://eplmatchestalk.blogspot.com/2010/11/chelsea-0-3-sunderland-highlights.html

• gunner77

  15 Nov 10, 19:20

  this is a fanstastic performance by sunderland.

   

• Y_Shun

  15 Nov 10, 20:41

  First team players out.

  Midfield is crappy - the same used against Liverpool.

  Central defence, seriously playing a 32 years old SLOW FULLBACK as Centreback is a crazy mistake.

  The lack in depth is really harming Chelsea.

   

  What the fu*k was with Ancelotti's mind to NOT use the promising youngsters? The very least they had better attitude and more passion to win rather than these fringe players.

• TIB657M

  15 Nov 10, 20:46

  Sunderland vs top teams UNDEFEATED, seems drawing with arsenal, manu, liverpool not a fluke!!!

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  15 Nov 10, 20:50

  they beat Man City

   

  

• zocoss

  15 Nov 10, 21:25

  Having watch the match now, I thought the first goal was actually rather amazing... That guy ran past one, two, three Chelsea players before putting the ball past Cech...

  Anyway, I was quite surprise Chelsea couldn't even get one with Drogba, Malouda and Anelka all playing together... I think recently Malouda and Anelka are not as good as at the start of the season... And Chelsea might need a new central midfielder cos Lampard is getting old and when he gets injured, may take longer than a younger player to recover... And that Ramires is kind of young or new so not very effective yet...

   

• Rock^Star

  15 Nov 10, 21:51

  wah lau!! i missed this match thinking it would be a stroll for chelsea! as so often has been the case. Im going to watch the goals now.

• Y_Shun

  16 Nov 10, 00:53

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  Having watch the match now, I thought the first goal was actually rather amazing... That guy ran past one, two, three Chelsea players before putting the ball past Cech...

  Anyway, I was quite surprise Chelsea couldn't even get one with Drogba, Malouda and Anelka all playing together... I think recently Malouda and Anelka are not as good as at the start of the season... And Chelsea might need a new central midfielder cos Lampard is getting old and when he gets injured, may take longer than a younger player to recover... And that Ramires is kind of young or new so not very effective yet...

   

  All just recovered from injury... and theres is little or even no rest for them.

• reyes

  16 Nov 10, 14:19

  actually not surprising.

  sunderland actually has player that dealt with chelsea strongest link and expose chelsea weakest link.

  chelsea backline consist of ferrera and invanoic? they barely had the height to deal with gyan.

  sunderland on the otherhand has the height and size to deal with drogba who jusy recoever from malaria is probably the reason for this subdue performance.

  chelsea definitely need a central defensive cover for alex and terry after they sold cavarlho.