With the club seemingly in constant turmoil it would be easy to forget that Chelsea FC only sat one point clear of the relegation zone prior to their game with fellow bottom dwellers Sunderland. If the Blues were to suffer a home loss, it would drag the club into further misery. Fortunately for everyone involved, the team had other plans.
Newly minted interim manager Guus Hiddink sat alongside Didier Drogba and Roman Abramovich while watching his new club put on an encouraging show. Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro were able to strike early and give the blues a comfortable lead, while Oscar scored a penalty to make it three. Fabio Borini gave the away fans a glimmer of hope with a tap-in goal, but the Black Cats never really looked capable of taking anything from Stamford Bridge.
With home fans in a sour mood, it was imperative for Chelsea to start things well, and that they did. It took only five minutes for Ivanovic to get on the end of a corner and make it 1-0. The defender has fallen on hard times this season, and hopefully the goal will be a boost to his confidence.
There seemed to be more of an emphasis to get service into the box from wide areas, something the Blues had struggled with all season. It paid off in the 13th minute, as Ivanovic sent a low ball into the box for Diego Costa, who ended up deflecting into the path of Pedro. The winger made no mistake with the finish and doubled the lead in the process.
The early goals allowed Chelsea to play comfortably for the rest of the first half, knowing Sunderland’s main threat was only the pace of Jermain Defoe
The hosts continued to put the pressure as soon as the second half started, and looked to put Sunderland out of their misery early on.
Oscar was able to pick out Willian, who was taken down by Costel Pantilimon inside the box. A penalty was given, but the keeper was shown just a yellow. Oscar stepped up calmly, and made the game 3-0.
Sunderland were able to pull one back through Fabio Borini in the 53rd minute. The former Chelsea man was able to pounce on a ball parried by Thibaut Courtois and be presented with an easy finish.
With so much time left, the away fans may have thought their team could claw their way back into the game. Chelsea were able to slow the game back down, though, and the score would remain the same as the final whistle blew.
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The result will be encouraging to Chelsea fans, even if it was against a relegation threatened team. The squad looked inspired early on, bagged three goals, and minus the one slip, played a solid game in defense too.
Chelsea will look to start a positive streak with their match against Watford on Boxing Day.
| Chelsea FC | Sunderland |
|---|---|
| Thibaut Courtois | Costel Pantilimon |
| Branislav Ivanovic | Billy Jones |
| Kurt Zouma | Sebastian Coates (Adam Johnson - 23') |
| John Terry | John O'Shea |
| Cesar Azpilicueta | Younes Kaboul |
| Cesc Fabregas (John Obi Mikel - 71') | Patrick Van Aanholt |
| Nemanja Matic | Ola Toivonen (Fabio Borini - 45') |
| Willian | Yann M'Vila |
| Oscar (Ramires - 82') | Jack Rodwell |
| Pedro | Duncan Watmore (Danny Graham - 79') |
| Diego Costa (Loic Remy - 76') | Jermaine Defoe |