Chelsea’s four-match winning streak came to an emphatic end on Saturday afternoon as they sunk to a late 2–1 defeat against Sunderland in the Premier League.
Chelsea made the perfect start to proceedings at Stamford Bridge as they went ahead in the fourth minute via Alejandro Garnacho’s first goal for the club, but Wilson Isidor’s equaliser and fourth Premier League goal of the season ensured Sunderland entered half time level.
The Blues huffed and puffed as they sought a winner in west London, but it was their visitors who snatched a decisive second goal at the death as substitute Chemsdine Talbi stroked home in the 93rd minute.
The result sees Chelsea drop down to seventh in the table for the time being, with Sunderland making an astonishing leap to second place.
Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Sunderland (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—6.1: Looked uncertain with the ball at his feet—not for the first time as a Chelsea player—but was relatively assured with his hands. Helpless to deny either of Sunderland’s goals.
RB: Reece James—7.5: Chelsea regularly funnelled the ball into James’ path as he stepped forward into midfield and the inside right channel. The skipper’s deliveries were hit-and-miss, but he looked the most likely to create for the Blues.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—6.6: Struggled with the speed and strength of Isidor and then Brian Brobbey, with the latter getting the better of him for the winning goal. Not his sharpest display in Chelsea blue.
CB: Josh Acheampong—7.1: Unfortunate to have played Isidor onside after his initial headed clearance in the build-up to the equaliser. Generally defended well up against Isidor, making some vital interventions at key junctures before being substituted.
LB: Marc Cucurella—6.7: Took up incredibly advanced positions down the left-hand side, bursting into the penalty area frequently as he attempted to get on the end of crosses.
DM: Enzo Fernández—7.1: Created several decent opportunities and took up more advanced positions as the match progressed. Delivered a few tame shots on goal, too, but was unable to make a telling contribution.
DM: Moisés Caicedo—6.6: Slammed into tackles in the engine room on the rare occasions Sunderland forayed forward—not always with great success. Recycled possession effectively and generally screened the back four well.
RW: Pedro Neto—7.4: Assisted Garnacho early doors and played with his typical energy on the right wing. Sometimes lacked the necessary end product when presented with opportunities to deliver.
AM: João Pedro—6.2: Played in behind Marc Guiu in the No.10 position, but failed to have any meaningful impact on the match. Looked a little lost at times.
LW: Alejandro Garnacho—7.2: Opened his Chelsea account as he fired through Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs and made an encouraging start at Stamford Bridge. However, his final product didn’t match his endeavour as the game wore on and he was withdrawn before the hour mark.
ST: Marc Guiu—5.9: Started against the club he briefly represented on loan this season aiming to build on his midweek goal against Ajax, but he was pretty much anonymous throughout the clash. Surprising he lasted so long before being substituted.
Subs not used: Filip Jörgensen (GK), Jorrel Hato, Wesley Fofana, Roméo Lavia.
Sunderland (5-4-1)
Starting XI: Robin Roefs; Trai Hume, Nordi Mukiele, Daniel Ballard, Lutsharel Geertruida, Reinildo; Bertrand Traoré, Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, Enzo Le Fée; Wilson Isidor.
Subs used: Chemsdine Talbi, Chris Rigg, Brian Brobbey.
Player of the Match: Robin Roefs
Chelsea Player of the Match: Reece James
Chelsea 1–2 Sunderland: How It Unfolded at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea were riding a wave of confidence heading into the battle with Sunderland and spirits were even higher after just four minutes at Stamford Bridge. The Blues wasted no time in getting their noses in front against their newly-promoted visitors, Garnacho squeezing home from a tight angle at the end of a swift counter attack.
Chelsea appeared to be in cruise control towards a routine victory, but Sunderland’s equaliser midway through the first half changed the script. A long throw into the penalty area caused carnage for the hosts, with Isidor converting from several yards following ex-Chelsea winger Bertrand Traoré’s deflected strike.
Isidor offered Chelsea another scare just before the half-hour mark as he thrashed an effort into the side netting, but it was the Blues who were in the ascendancy heading into half time. Roefs denied Garnacho a second from a corner and then rebuffed a long-range strike from Trevoh Chalobah as Chelsea looked to turn the screw.
Sunderland began brightly after the restart and continued to threaten Chelsea on the break. They struggled to carve clear-cut openings, but Isidor was particularly effective at stretching the Blues. At the other end, Chelsea were worryingly muted.
Enzo Maresca turned to Estêvão from the bench to help galvanise his side and the Brazilian would likely have found the net with one of his first touches had it not been for a terrific block from Lutsharel Geertruida, Still, even with the youngster’s energy, Chelsea found it difficult to unlock Sunderland’s five-man defence.
The Black Cats dared to dream of a winner as they unnerved their hosts in the closing stages and Talbi delivered it in style to secure a memorable victory. Brian Brobbey expertly held the ball up following a stoppage-time counter and teed up the Moroccan on the edge of the area as he curled beyond Robert Sánchez.
Chelsea vs. Sunderland Half-Time Stats
Chelsea vs. Sunderland Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Sunderland: Blues Stunned in Stoppage-Time Defeat.