MATCH REPORT: CHELSEA 0 SUNDERLAND 3
A side that lost captain John Terry to injury before the game was second best for much of it. Positive attacking by Sunderland found a way through with defender Nedum Ouoha netting just before the break and then both strikers, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck scoring in the second half. Steve Bruce had opted for two strikers in a change from previous starting line-ups.
The goals were the first conceded in 10 home league games and while the first two were good Sunderland play, the third was from that rarest of occurrences, an Ashley Cole mistake.
Terry was ruled out following training yesterday when a nerve problem caused the skipper pain in gluteus and hamstring muscles. Paulo Ferreira was drafted into central defence as Carlo Ancelotti opted for experience rather than the youth option of Jeffrey Bruma.
Nicolas Anelka was able to return from the back injury that kept him out against Fulham so Salomon Kalou made way. Terry may have been out and the midfield lacked Lampard and Essien but it was at least a full-strength attack taking on the side that started the game eighth, although all three have missed games recently through injury or illness.
Prior to kick-off, a minute's silence to mark Remembrance Sunday was observed and then the final game of the weekend was underway.
Malouda almost put the ball on the toes of Drogba in front of goal five minutes in. Sunderland sprung forward after a loose Ivanovic pass but Gyan's shot was wayward.
However it was a stagnant start to the game, peppered by plenty of aerial contests but no real quality of passing from either side.
On 17 minutes Mikel broke the stranglehold with a lofted ball into the path of Anelka but Gordon just won the race and saved at the Frenchman's feet.
A minute later Zhirkov missed a chance all of his own making. Spinning past Turner, he saw the gap between two defenders, darted through but then suffered a rush of blood and dragged his shot wide.
At a set-piece delivery, Chelsea might well have been awarded a penalty had the officials spotted Turner grabbing Ivanovic in a near headlock, but they didn't and when another corner was cleared to the edge of the area, Ramires looped a header forward that had Gordon back-peddling. The Scot reached up and caught it under the crossbar.
On 28 minutes Drogba, full of close control and power, attempted to find a direct route to goal and was enjoying success until impeded illegally by Turner just outside the area. The Sunderland centre-back saw the game's first yellow card.
Drogba swapped his more usual up-and-down free-kick technique for a full-force blast and it clipped off the side of the wall and flew only a few inches too high.
He had another chance on 33 minutes after he was upended by Cattermole. From five yards further out, he struck it straight at the keeper.
Little did the Stamford Bridge crowd know at that point this was Chelsea's best spell of the game.
Two minutes later came Cech's first in a quick succession of saves as Sunderland took control and Chelsea made mistakes.
The stop can be added to his already impressive top-drawer collection this season. From Onuoha's cross, Welbeck powered a header towards the bottom corner. The Sunderland bench certainly thought it was on its way in until a long arm pushed the ball wide.
Moments later Cech denied the England Under 21 international again, this time with his feet as Welbeck shot when placed through one-on-one by Gyan's pass.
Suddenly the Terry-less defence was looking vulnerable every time the lively Wearsiders pushed forward. Ivanovic tripped Welbeck as the Blues lost the ball dangerously and were looking stretched. Fortunately referee Foy decided the Serbian wasn't the last defender.
Cech then saved again, from Gyan this time as the defence lacked men in place, and parried Onouha's follow-up shot.
The one-Czech resistance couldn't hold out forever and he was beaten by a remarkable piece of play by Onuoha a minute before the interval. The right-back beat three men on his run before coaxing the ball into the corner with Cech this time helpless. The goal had been coming.
The pressure was on as the second half commenced. Drogba had a shot charged down but within seven minutes of the restart Sunderland made it 2-0.
It was the type of pass-and-move football we usually see from blue shirts in front of the Shed End but this time it was new England call-up Henderson passing through to Gyan who slipped the ball past Cech.
On 57 minutes Ancelotti made a change - Kalou introduced with Malouda taken off, and 11 minutes later McEachran was brought on for the unimposing Ramires.
Between those changes Welbeck was only inches away from extending the lead with a shot through a crowd of legs.
Into the final 20 minutes, Anelka drilled wide from the edge of the area and then as the Blues broke promisingly, Zhirkov blazed his cross high into crowd. It captured a bad Chelsea afternoon in one moment and was the Russian's last touch. Kakuta came on.
Chelsea mustered just one shot on target in the second half as Sunderland understandably kept plenty of men back while still carrying a threat on the counter-attack.
The third goal was a moment of pure self-destruction however. Cole, who had appeared to injure his ankle earlier in the half, was in possession and being chased towards the corner flag when he knocked the ball into the middle for what turned out to be a pass straight to Welbeck. The task of finishing it was a simple one. It was a very quiet Stamford Bridge apart from the small contingent in the sparsely populated away section. The Sunderland fans had seen their first win over Chelsea since 2001.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Cole; Ramires (McEachran 68), Mikel, Zhirkov (Kakuta 74); Anelka, Drogba, Malouda (Kalou 57).
Unused subs Turnbull, Bruma, Van Aanholt, Sala.
Booked Ivanovic 39,
Sunderland (4-4-2): Gordon; Onuoha, Turner, Bramble, Bardsley; Richardson, Henderson, Cattermole (c) (Riveros 90+4), Zenden; Welbeck (Elmohamady 90), Gyan (Malbranque 82).
Unused subs: Mignolet, Adams, Angeleri, Da Silva.
Scorer Onuoha 44. Gyan 52, Welbeck 87.
Booked Turner 28. Bramble 61.
Referee Chris Foy
Crowd 41,072.
Shots on Chelsea 5 Sunderland 9
Corners Chelsea 6 Sunderland 3
Fouls Chelsea 10 Sunderland 14
Offsides Chelsea 3 Sunderland 2
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