Sunderland Flying High After Stunning Chelsea With Injury-time Talbi Winner

In different circumstances nan boos erstwhile nan full-time whistle arrived and Stamford Bridge digested different stumble from Chelsea connected location ungraded would person been nan communicative of nan day. It would person been astir Enzo Maresca’s shortcomings against a debased block, nan imaginative shortage caused by Cole Palmer’s absence and nan inconsistencies preventing nan youngest squad successful nan Premier League from muscling their measurement into nan title race.

Victory would person lifted Chelsea 2 points disconnected apical spot earlier Arsenal big Crystal Palace connected Sunday. Victory, though, was ne'er wrong their grasp. Sunderland, again showing why they are specified a good summation to nan Premier League, ne'er allowed nan world champions to presume control.

The time belonged to Régis Le Bris and his magnificent team, who vanished nan time successful 2nd acknowledgment to Liverpool’s conclusion astatine Brentford. Sunderland, who person made nan champion commencement to a play by a promoted broadside since 2008, were superb. This was their champion consequence since coming up and cipher could reason that it was undeserved, moreover if it was not until nan 93rd infinitesimal that nan Sunderland substitute Chemsdine Talbi scored nan decisive goal.

Chelsea were stunned. They were successful beforehand aft 4 minutes, Alejandro Garnacho scoring his first extremity for nan club, but this was a blunt performance. Chelsea created fewer clear openings and were ruffled successful defence. They were pegged backmost erstwhile Wilson Isidor scored from a agelong propulsion and were beaten erstwhile a Sunderland counterattack vanished pinch Brian Brobbey, different substitute, laying nan shot disconnected for Talbi to guideline a composed decorativeness beyond Robert Sánchez from nan separator of nan area.

Sunderland, who look judge to extremity nan inclination of each nan promoted sides going down, were competitory from nan start. They were energetic, organised astatine nan backmost and aided by nan elasticity of their 5-4-1 system. Chelsea, who person dropped 8 points astatine location this season, ne'er solved nan tactical conundrum. They did not move nan shot pinch capable intensity. Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo are 2 of nan champion midfielders successful nan convention but they were matched by Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki. João Pedro, operating astatine No 10 while Chelsea hold for Palmer’s groin to heal, has not scored since August and was poor. Marc Guiu was ineffective connected his first convention commencement since joining from Barcelona past year.

Dan Ballard and Lutsharel Geertruida shackled nan 19-year-old forward, who was recalled from a little indebtedness spell astatine Sunderland aft Chelsea mislaid Liam Delap to wounded and loaned Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich astatine nan extremity of nan transportation window. The crippled was played connected Sunderland’s terms. They had Chelsea lifting aimless crosses into nan area agelong earlier half-time.

Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea scores nan opening goal, his first for nan club. Photograph: Alex Broadway/Getty Images

“We were not bully enough,” Maresca said. “We didn’t create a batch isolated from nan goal. We struggled. We request our players to execute 100%.” It had seemed that Sunderland were successful for a agelong day erstwhile Chelsea’s wingers mixed successful nan 4th minute. Pedro Neto launched a counterattack and recovered Garnacho connected nan left. The erstwhile Manchester United winger drove astatine Nordi Mukiele earlier slamming a debased changeable done Robin Roefs.

Sunderland stirred. Maresca, immune to nan charms of English football’s caller clasp of getting it launched, looked connected successful vexation arsenic his defence grounded to woody pinch a agelong propulsion from Mukiele successful nan 22nd minute. A messiness ensued. It was 1-1 erstwhile Wilson Isidor, played onside by Josh Acheampong, turned successful a changeable by Bertrand Traoré.

Isidor was a fistful successful onslaught for Sunderland. Chelsea drifted into sterile domination, Garnacho fading earlier making measurement for Estêvão Willian early successful nan 2nd half. Guiu tired badly.

Sunderland’s committedness was ferocious. Reinildo Mandava, backmost from suspension, was exceptional astatine near wing-back and Le Bris freshened his squad up pinch smart changes. He sewage nan amended of Maresca, whose determination to present nan tallness of Tosin Adarabioyo aft Brobbey came connected did not work.

The crippled was decided erstwhile Geertruida stepped guardant and played a agelong shot to Brobbey. The striker held disconnected Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah, waited for support and recovered it from Talbi, who surged guardant to make it 2-1.

The situation now for Sunderland will beryllium keeping expectations realistic. Le Bris said nan target is still to deed 40 points but his squad are successful nan Champions League places. This is nary relegation battle.