In a shocking upset, Sunderland defeated current FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The Black Cats would secure another three points in an important victory over the Blues on matchday 9.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis win moves them further up England’s Premier League table, and they currently sit in 2nd place with 17 points. This could, however, change as 3rd-place Manchester City, 5th-place Bournemouth, and 7th-place Tottenham have yet to play their 9th league match.
Sizing Each Other Up
Chelsea, with a home advantage, was coming into the match in better form, having won 4 out of their past 5 matches. Those victories include Liverpool, Ajax, and Benfica, no small names in the world of European football.
Embed from Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Sunderland was coming into the match with only 2 wins from their past 5 matches.
A 2-nil win over Wolverhampton and a 1-nil win over Nottingham.
The Lions Face Off
Match predictions had Chelsea walking away with another 3 points, and a gol at the 4th minute had everything going according to plan.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut no one told Sunderland about said plan.
After a botched attempt to control the ball by Sunderland’s midfield, Garnacho received the ball from Pedro Neto. Garnacho played the ball all the way to Sunderland’s gol and put it between Roefs’ legs to make the match 1-0 in Chelsea’s favor.
Embed from Getty ImagesChelsea was dominating the match, holding the majority of ball possession and hammering Sunderland’s defense.
Black Cats Tie It Up
A throw-in at the 22nd match minute would cause chaos in the Chelsea box, and Isidor would draw the match level for Sunderland.
Embed from Getty ImagesChelsea defender Acheampong would try to clear the ball with a header, only for it to land at the feet of Sunderland’s right-wing man, Traoré.
Traoré attempted to slap-shot the ball into gol, but a foot from Chelsea’s Joao Pedro would leave the ball floating in the keeper’s box.
Isidor, kept onside by a lingering Acheampong, would clip the ball past Chelsea’s keeper, making it 1-1.
Embed from Getty ImagesChelsea’s strikers would continue to hammer the Black Cats’ defense, creating several almost certain chances.
A mistake in the 33rd minute on the other end of the pitch nearly gave Chelsea the lead a second time, as Sunderland’s defenders would lose the ball near the keeper’s box.
Lucky for the Black Cats, the offside flag was raised, and there was no real danger.
Garnacho would be denied a second by the post in a Chelsea corner at the 39th minute.
Embed from Getty ImagesSunderland would fire back with a counter at the 42nd minute, but Traoré would be denied by Chelsea’s keeper Sánchez.
Sunderland’s keeper, Roefs, would be called into action again at the 44th minute as a powerful strike from Chelsea defender, Chalobah, forced Roefs to punch the ball up over the bar for a Chelsea corner.
Chelsea would continue their assault in the second half, creating more chances as the minutes marched onward.
Embed from Getty ImagesMatch Winning Stunner
It wasn’t until the 3rd minute of stoppage time that a long ball would reach Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey at the other end of the pitch.
Brobbey would hold the ball against two Chelsea defenders inside the box until he saw Talbi coming in from the back, alone.
With swift precision, Brobbey would pass the ball back into the middle, right to Talbi’s feet.
On first touch, Talbi would power the ball into the bottom right corner of the net, scoring a potentially game-winning gol.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs unbelievable as it was, Sunderland had come back from a 1-nil deficit at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
With so little time remaining in the match, Chelsea would desperately attempt to equalize without success.
The ref would blow the final whistle at the 97th minute, securing Sunderland’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Final Thoughts
The Black Cats walk away from Stamford Bridge having snatched away all three points in a riveting match that saw them execute a masterful comeback in the final minutes.
Embed from Getty ImagesSunderland celebrate an impressive start to their season as they’ve secured 17 points from their first nine Premier League matches.
They make their way home after this victory with heads held high and are now poised to face Everton in their next league match.
