Chelsea 1 vs Sunderland 2-Bitter blow for Blues
On paper this was the easiest of the remaining 4 features
However 2 things were required to prevent Sunderland doing a Man City on us :
Focus & Swashbuckling lethality in front of goal
(We didn't do either as it turned out! )
Petr Cech was a notable Chelsea absentee- he had picked up a virus earlier in the week. In stepped the experience Mark Schwarzer ( in the process he became the oldest ever Chelsea player to get a game )
Chelsea Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
Mark Schwarzer; Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry (c), Cesar Azpilicueta; Ramires, Nemanja Matic; Willian, Oscar, Mohamed Salah; Samuel Eto'o.
CFC bench: Hilario, David Luiz, John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres, Andre Schurrle, Demba Ba.
Sunderland Starting XI (4-4-2)
Mannone, Vergini, Alonso, Brown, O'Shea (c), Cattermole, Colback, Larsson, Johnson, Borini, Wickham.
SAFC bench: Celustka, Altidore, Ba, Giaccherini, Scocco, Mavrias, Ustari.
For minute by minute account of the match, check out this link:
The match highlights:
12' - Samuel Eto'o wins corner and volleys home the set-piece. Life in the old dog yet.goal
18'- Connor Wickham equalises for Sunderland. A corner was played out deep to Alonso ( he was unmarked at the edge of the box) , who shoots from long distance. Schwarzer saves but spills the rebound into the path of Wickham, who pokes in to equalise.
Game on!
36'- Mannone saves from an Ivanovic header. The ball hits the crossbar and the Keeper gratefully cradles the rebounding ball
42' - Mannone made a double save - initially from a long range effort from Matic, then from the follow up by Salah.
Moments later, Chelsea players appeal for a handball in Sunderland's box, but referee Mike Dean waves play on ( rightly so as it would have been cruel on the Sunderland defender if that was given. His arms were by his side in trying to block the effort)
44' -Ramires misses an open goal with a header from a cross- 'cos he was smacked in the back by Larsson. The player made no attempt to get the ball. One has seen penalties given for such challenges before
45' -Ramires swings a forearm at Larsson's face. and connects. Larsson hits the deck. Apparently he was upset that the Sunderland player clipped his legs. But it appeared that the Ref didn't see it. That should have been a straight red card!
Second Half:
48' - Chelsea counter at pace. Willian leads the break down the middle and lays off for Eto'o on the left. Eto'o curls his shot toward the back post, where Mannone appears beaten, but the ball rolls inches wide! Agonisingly close!
As a Chelsea fan, you start to worry. It's that Déjà Vu feeling against weaker oppositions again!
59'- Oscar, who had a disappointing game, was replaced by Ba as Mou changed the formation from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 in search of (possibly) the winning goal
65'—Chelsea should have been ahead: Ba holds up play well and lays off for Willian, who powers to the byline and pulls back to the striker. However, rather than control the ball-as he was completely unmarked in the 6- yard box- he mis-hits his shot well off target. You just had this ominous feeling that it was going to be a bad day for Chelsea after that terrible miss!!
66'- Schurrle replaces Salah. Johnson and Wickham came off, Altidore and Giaccherini replaced the duo for Sunderland
74'- Torres came on for Eto'o ( it was Chelsea's final change.) Torres as saviour....hmmm...not looking good at all
81' -Azpilicueta slips, loses possession then fells Altidore in the box. Penalty!!
This was what it looked like until you watch the replay. The striker made a meal of it ( rightly) as Azpi didn't touch his leg. Indeed he caught Azpi's calf with his trailing leg. Perhaps Azpi should have stayed on his feet though, 'cos once a defender goes down in the box like that it's difficult for him to get the right call most times.
Borini takes a stutter in his run-up and slots the ball down the middle. Goal!!
Sunderland leads 2-1 at the Bridge
Disaster!!!!
That was the first penalty Chelsea will concede in the Premier League penalty since January 12, 2013 (against Stoke City).
A member of Chelsea's coaching staff was sent off. He was really livid at the award of the penalty to Sunderland
86'- Torres' cross is handled in the box by Cattermole. Ref waves play on as he felt it was unintentional. That's debatable though as a goal-scoring opportunity was prevented
Chelsea couldn't just fashion out an equaliser despite 5 mins ( +1) of added time.
José Mourinho's 77-game unbeaten league sequence in this arena had been curtailed by the division's bottom club, a team without a win in the elite since early February, with the decisive goal converted by a former Chelsea player-Fabio Borini
His goal help eliminate us in the COCup too. The ex-Chelsea guy must be really upset with the club
Thoughts
-Chelsea faced an inferior opponent playing a deep and narrow defence. The home side dominated possession and created several decent chances, but failed to take any, bar the Eto'o goal
All in all, this was a pretty typical Chelsea game during the post-Didier Drogba era. This was the story of Mourinho's first season- which is looking like a Trophy-less one now ( Everton, Newcastle, Stoke, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are nodding their heads in agreement )
-Strikers let Mourinho down this season.
Torres still has 4 goals in the EPL -in week 35!! But the Gaffer should take the majority of the blame. He had a pre-season with this Team. To think that he let Lukaku go on loan & kept the Spaniard!
I'll be able to stomach this season (trophy-less? ) if TORRES LEAVES!! at the end of it.
Sell Ba too. I won't mind keeping Eto'o for one more season though ( as 3rd choice behind a new striker & Lukaku)
-Mark Schwarzer was at fault for the equaliser, he needed to push that Alonso shot wide. Match Rustiness?
-Ramires should have been sent off- QED. I foresee the FA taking retrospective action. I won't be shedding a tear. Ramires has been poor all season
Still on Ramires, Chelsea should have got a penalty for the shove on his back in the box. This plus Sunderland's penalty were two of the contentious decisions today which didn't go our way. Baffling, if you consider that we're playing at home too. Is Mike Dean a Liverpool supporter in disguise?
-what's up with the slippery pitch today? Schwarzer was falling all over each time he kicked the ball and it ultimately cost us too- with the Azpi slip.
-What happened to Oscar? He has been putting in a lot of poor performances since Mata was sold
This team has a lot of midfielders but no true No 10- that special player who can open a defence with a great quick pass. Mata? Irony?
-That Mourinho unbeaten home record had to go at some point. I'm happy it was to Gus Poyet & not one of Mou's main Rivals
I hope Sunderland stays up now after their plucky performance this week
-Surely, Liverpool can't lose this now. They have been the most consistent and it would be difficult to begrudge them
-Having said that we'll still be supporting Norwich tomorrow 'cos that's what true fans do. Pix 4 too!
It ain't over till the fat lady sings!
On paper this was the easiest of the remaining 4 features
However 2 things were required to prevent Sunderland doing a Man City on us :
Focus & Swashbuckling lethality in front of goal
(We didn't do either as it turned out! )
Petr Cech was a notable Chelsea absentee- he had picked up a virus earlier in the week. In stepped the experience Mark Schwarzer ( in the process he became the oldest ever Chelsea player to get a game )
Chelsea Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
Mark Schwarzer; Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry (c), Cesar Azpilicueta; Ramires, Nemanja Matic; Willian, Oscar, Mohamed Salah; Samuel Eto'o.
CFC bench: Hilario, David Luiz, John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres, Andre Schurrle, Demba Ba.
Sunderland Starting XI (4-4-2)
Mannone, Vergini, Alonso, Brown, O'Shea (c), Cattermole, Colback, Larsson, Johnson, Borini, Wickham.
SAFC bench: Celustka, Altidore, Ba, Giaccherini, Scocco, Mavrias, Ustari.
For minute by minute account of the match, check out this link:
The match highlights:
12' - Samuel Eto'o wins corner and volleys home the set-piece. Life in the old dog yet.goal
18'- Connor Wickham equalises for Sunderland. A corner was played out deep to Alonso ( he was unmarked at the edge of the box) , who shoots from long distance. Schwarzer saves but spills the rebound into the path of Wickham, who pokes in to equalise.
Game on!
36'- Mannone saves from an Ivanovic header. The ball hits the crossbar and the Keeper gratefully cradles the rebounding ball
42' - Mannone made a double save - initially from a long range effort from Matic, then from the follow up by Salah.
Moments later, Chelsea players appeal for a handball in Sunderland's box, but referee Mike Dean waves play on ( rightly so as it would have been cruel on the Sunderland defender if that was given. His arms were by his side in trying to block the effort)
44' -Ramires misses an open goal with a header from a cross- 'cos he was smacked in the back by Larsson. The player made no attempt to get the ball. One has seen penalties given for such challenges before
45' -Ramires swings a forearm at Larsson's face. and connects. Larsson hits the deck. Apparently he was upset that the Sunderland player clipped his legs. But it appeared that the Ref didn't see it. That should have been a straight red card!
Second Half:
48' - Chelsea counter at pace. Willian leads the break down the middle and lays off for Eto'o on the left. Eto'o curls his shot toward the back post, where Mannone appears beaten, but the ball rolls inches wide! Agonisingly close!
As a Chelsea fan, you start to worry. It's that Déjà Vu feeling against weaker oppositions again!
59'- Oscar, who had a disappointing game, was replaced by Ba as Mou changed the formation from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 in search of (possibly) the winning goal
65'—Chelsea should have been ahead: Ba holds up play well and lays off for Willian, who powers to the byline and pulls back to the striker. However, rather than control the ball-as he was completely unmarked in the 6- yard box- he mis-hits his shot well off target. You just had this ominous feeling that it was going to be a bad day for Chelsea after that terrible miss!!
66'- Schurrle replaces Salah. Johnson and Wickham came off, Altidore and Giaccherini replaced the duo for Sunderland
74'- Torres came on for Eto'o ( it was Chelsea's final change.) Torres as saviour....hmmm...not looking good at all
81' -Azpilicueta slips, loses possession then fells Altidore in the box. Penalty!!
This was what it looked like until you watch the replay. The striker made a meal of it ( rightly) as Azpi didn't touch his leg. Indeed he caught Azpi's calf with his trailing leg. Perhaps Azpi should have stayed on his feet though, 'cos once a defender goes down in the box like that it's difficult for him to get the right call most times.
Borini takes a stutter in his run-up and slots the ball down the middle. Goal!!
Sunderland leads 2-1 at the Bridge
Disaster!!!!
That was the first penalty Chelsea will concede in the Premier League penalty since January 12, 2013 (against Stoke City).
A member of Chelsea's coaching staff was sent off. He was really livid at the award of the penalty to Sunderland
86'- Torres' cross is handled in the box by Cattermole. Ref waves play on as he felt it was unintentional. That's debatable though as a goal-scoring opportunity was prevented
Chelsea couldn't just fashion out an equaliser despite 5 mins ( +1) of added time.
José Mourinho's 77-game unbeaten league sequence in this arena had been curtailed by the division's bottom club, a team without a win in the elite since early February, with the decisive goal converted by a former Chelsea player-Fabio Borini
His goal help eliminate us in the COCup too. The ex-Chelsea guy must be really upset with the club
Thoughts
-Chelsea faced an inferior opponent playing a deep and narrow defence. The home side dominated possession and created several decent chances, but failed to take any, bar the Eto'o goal
All in all, this was a pretty typical Chelsea game during the post-Didier Drogba era. This was the story of Mourinho's first season- which is looking like a Trophy-less one now ( Everton, Newcastle, Stoke, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are nodding their heads in agreement )
-Strikers let Mourinho down this season.
Torres still has 4 goals in the EPL -in week 35!! But the Gaffer should take the majority of the blame. He had a pre-season with this Team. To think that he let Lukaku go on loan & kept the Spaniard!
I'll be able to stomach this season (trophy-less? ) if TORRES LEAVES!! at the end of it.
Sell Ba too. I won't mind keeping Eto'o for one more season though ( as 3rd choice behind a new striker & Lukaku)
-Mark Schwarzer was at fault for the equaliser, he needed to push that Alonso shot wide. Match Rustiness?
-Ramires should have been sent off- QED. I foresee the FA taking retrospective action. I won't be shedding a tear. Ramires has been poor all season
Still on Ramires, Chelsea should have got a penalty for the shove on his back in the box. This plus Sunderland's penalty were two of the contentious decisions today which didn't go our way. Baffling, if you consider that we're playing at home too. Is Mike Dean a Liverpool supporter in disguise?
-what's up with the slippery pitch today? Schwarzer was falling all over each time he kicked the ball and it ultimately cost us too- with the Azpi slip.
-What happened to Oscar? He has been putting in a lot of poor performances since Mata was sold
This team has a lot of midfielders but no true No 10- that special player who can open a defence with a great quick pass. Mata? Irony?
-That Mourinho unbeaten home record had to go at some point. I'm happy it was to Gus Poyet & not one of Mou's main Rivals
I hope Sunderland stays up now after their plucky performance this week
-Surely, Liverpool can't lose this now. They have been the most consistent and it would be difficult to begrudge them
-Having said that we'll still be supporting Norwich tomorrow 'cos that's what true fans do. Pix 4 too!
It ain't over till the fat lady sings!
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