CHELSEA
What a difference a year makes. What a difference a manager
makes. Exactly 12 months ago to the day Chelsea lost at Leicester as their
shambolic title defence plunged a new low. It was too much for owner Roman
Abramovich and, by the end of week, Jose Mourinho was gone.
Compare that mess to the Chelsea of today - six points clear
at the top of the Premier League and guaranteed to be at the summit come
Christmas Day, a position from which they have won the title on four previous
occasions.
What Mourinho made look difficult, Antonio Conte makes easy.
This was a 10th straight victory; five more and they’ll have a new Premier
League record, surpassing Arsenal’s run of 2002.
MATCH FACTS, RATINGS, TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
Sunderland (5-3-1-1): Pickford 6.5; Jones 6 (Love 59,
5.5), Kone 6, Djilobodji 6.5, O’Shea 6, Van Aanholt 5.5; Januzaj 5, Denayer
5.5, Kirchhoff 5.5 (Larsson 57, 5.5); Borini 5 (Khazri 82); Defoe 6
Subs not used: Mannone, Asoro, Maja, Honeyman
Bookings: Defoe, O’Shea
Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6.5, Luiz 6.5,
Cahill 6.5; Moses 7 (Ivanovic 90), Kante 7, Fabregas 7.5, Alonso 7; Willian 7,
Costa 6.5, Pedro 6 (Matic 75)
Subs: Begovic, Zouma, Loftus-Cheek, Batshuayi, Chalobah
Scorer: Fabregas 40
Bookings: Pedro, Moses
Referee: N Swarbrick
Attendance: 41,008
MOTM: Fabregas
And Conte said: ‘It’s fantastic to win 10 in a row in this
league, because it is very tough. You have to fight in every game. Our players
deserve this for their commitment and work-rate, every day and in games.
‘But I prefer not to look at the table. The league did not
finish today.’
There is a calmness and authority about Conte, much like his
side. While Mourinho had lost the dressing-room, the Italian has every one of
his players performing at a level unrecognisable from last season.
He even lets them enjoy a post-game beer. And it is fair to
say supporters are drunk on their success right now.
Yes, they needed a fine last-minute save from Thibaut
Courtois to deny Patrick van Aanholt, but this was impressive.
Cesc Fabregas was one of the players at odds with Mourinho
but he was the match-winner here with a first-half strike which oozed class.
‘I’m very happy for Cesc,’ added Conte. ‘He’s a great
example for the other players. It’s only his third start but he has shown great
commitment.’
For Sunderland and David Moyes, meanwhile, this 11th defeat
of the season came the day after an interview in which chief executive Martin
Bain revealed the club will not be able to spend its way out of trouble this
January.
And the Scot is evidently miffed.
‘I knew I had a short summer and I knew I wouldn’t do much
business and that it was going to be really difficult, but I did expect to do
some business in January,’ he said.
‘But I won’t be able to. That’s the understanding, that’s
what I’ve been told. It’s frustrating.’
Moyes, then, will have to find a solution from within and he
might well look to Conte and Chelsea for inspiration.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
and Moyes, having praised Conte’s use of a three-man defence on the eve of the
game, duly mirrored the selection of his opposite number; he must be doing
something right, after all. Needless to say, however, Sunderland’s wing-backs
were operating more like full-backs.
Three of those selected in Moyes’ new-look formation were
former residents of Stamford Bridge. But that Van Aanholt, Fabio Borini and
Papy Djilobodji managed just six league appearances between them for the Blues
perhaps explains why they are now playing for the division’s bottom club and no
longer on the books in West London.
It was easy to see, however, why Marcos Alonso has made the
journey in the opposite direction and the Chelsea wing-back - a popular loanee
on Wearside three years ago - was again outstanding at both ends of the park.
But Chelsea - minus the injured Eden Hazard, the playmaker
responsible for a quarter of his side’s goals this season - struggled for
inspiration during the opening exchanges.
They were only snapped from their slumber by a pair of
robust home challenges which left Diego Costa and Willian in a heap. Lamine
Kone and Jason Denayer were the perpetrators and, while it stirred the home
crowd, it also livened the visitors.
Alonso soon escaped down the left and drew back for the
unmarked Costa on the penalty spot. Goal, you assumed. But perhaps the Spaniard
was still feeling the effects of being flattered by Kone moments earlier, for
he sliced horribly wide.
Sunderland did not learn their lesson and again Alonso found
space high on the flank and whipped through the six-yard area. This time,
however, there were no takers. That three-man defence of Sunderland’s was
looking more like a six-man unit as Chelsea exerted their dominance.
David Luiz soon took aim from a 20-yard free-kick and, when
it was deflected off Adnan Januzaj in the home wall, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford
was handily placed to save with relative ease.
But the young England stopper stood little chance with
Chelsea’s breakthrough goal.
It may have looked simple - Fabregas to Willian to Fabregas,
goal - but the execution of each pass and the Spaniard’s subsequent finish - a
first-time tuck into the bottom corner from 20 yards - was of the highest
quality.
By the time the hour-mark arrived Victor Moses had twice
drilled inches wide from range and Willian came even closer when striking the
crossbar.
This was turning into a shooting session for the league
leaders and, with the home supporters somewhat subdued, Willian shaved the base
of the post after drifting infield unopposed from the right.
Sunderland pressed late on but Courtois clawed Van Aanholt’s
strike from the top corner.
It was a deserved victory for Chelsea and their brilliant
manager. A year, it seems, is a long time in football.
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