Sunderland vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game

Sunderland and Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw in Saturday's final Premier League game at the Stadium of Light.

Chelsea started brightly and quickly seemed to gain a hold on the match, but Sunderland defended diligently and slowly grew in confidence and threat. In the second half, as the game opened up, it was the hosts who really began to push hardest for an opener; with Connor Wickham, Jozy Altidore and Adam Johnson all going close.

In the end both sides were forced to settle for a draw, with Chelsea dropping just their fifth and sixth points of the season. Here are some winners and losers from this goalless draw.

Winner: Lee Cattermole

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Lee Cattermole's performance seemed to encapsulate that of his team; the defensive midfielder seemed to cover every blade of grass, win almost every tackle, and throw himself in front of every shot in his vicinity.

For the first time in five games he was not booked either, a fact that perhaps underlines the precise nature of his performance. Defensively, sitting in front his back four, he marshalled the space brilliantly and made a number of crucial interventions. Then in possession he was similarly influential; many of Sunderland's best counter-attacking moves were started by their all-action midfielder.

This game was a reminder of why Gus Poyet continues to start Cattermole ahead of Liam Bridcutt, a player he deliberately went back to former club Brighton to sign. Cattermole has his flaws but when he is on his game he is a brilliantly combative, inspirational presence. This was one of those occasions.

Loser: Diego Costa

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Diego Costa's playing style has always been built in part on both his ability and willingness to rile up his marker, to get involved in a bit of rough-and-tumble that invariably distracts his opponent from their duty and gives him the yard of space he needs to make an impact.

That side of his game was in evidence on Saturday, except it did not help him get on the scoresheet and it nearly saw him sent off twice. The Spain international was eventually booked for the second of those two incidents, a booking that means he will now be suspended for the club's next league match against Spurs.

That came after he landed a flying elbow in the face of Wes Brown, an incident that seemed to be typical Costa; the striker employing a pretty dirty, underhand trick to rough up his marker before protesting his innocence to the referee.

The first incident, however, was arguably even less savoury. John O'Shea's challenge on him at the end of the first half was certainly poor, but Costa's reaction was horrible—the striker seeming to aim two kicks at the direction of his assailant. For those who remember Gaston Ramirez's red card for Hull City last weekend, it was remarkable that the Chelsea man escaped any punishment whatsoever.

The scuffle seemed to underline the fact that this was an off-night for Costa, one where his aggression (and frustration) got the better of him and he became more of a hindrance to his side than a help. He hardly had a sniff of goal, and it was little surprise when Jose Mourinho decided to withdraw him (bringing on Loic Remy and Didier Drogba at the same time) with a good chunk of the game still remaining.

One of those substitutes will have to start against Spurs in midweek. Costa will have to watch from the stands; based on this performance (and his recent injury distractions), you wonder if the enforced absence might actually do him some good.

Winner: Nemanja Matic

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Nemanja Matic was booked late on for a lunging challenge on Connor Wickham, a cynical move that seemed a deliberate attempt to quell a prospective Sunderland counter-attack. It felt like the only mistake he made all game, such was his command of the contest.

Matic's passing was almost perfect in the first half, and he seemed to know exactly where he needed to be as he shuttled across the pitch to nip any Sunderland attacks in the bud. He was also a threat in and around the final third; with one his shots stinging the palms of Costel Pantilimon.

On a night where Chelsea's array of attacking talents failed to fire, Matic (along with Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill) caught the eye as they simply refused to allow Sunderland to take advantage at the other end.

Loser: Chelsea's Aura of Invincibility

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If there was a team that deserved to win this game it was Sunderland, not Chelsea. The home side's tactics were somewhat predictable, but the fact they were so effective will offer encouragement for all the sides still to face Jose Mourinho's men—and those fearing their second meeting of the season.

Sunderland set out to sit very deep, with two banks of players (four in defence, five in midfield) with very little space between them. They were stationed on the edge of their own box, restricting the space for Chelsea to work in and negating much of the threat of Eden Hazard, Oscar and league assist leader Cesc Fabregas.

As a result, Chelsea struggled to create any clear-cut chances and needed their rock-solid defence to ensure they came away from this game with just a point. The result is far from the end of the world (depending on the result of Sunday's game between Manchester City and Southampton, they could well maintain the six-point advantage they started the weekend with) but they could find themselves dragged into similarly frustrating battles against other lesser sides in the weeks ahead.

Chelsea remain unbeaten, of course, and this game came after a Champions League trip in midweek. So Mourinho has reason not to be too concerned by the outcome. Nevertheless, Chelsea's rivals will be relieved to learn that the Blues do have their fallibilities.

Afterwards, the Portuguese told Sky Sports (via the Daily Star):

"

It's a point. It was a difficult match. Only one team tried to win from the beginning, the other team didn't. They defended a lot and they defended well.

Defending a lot and well is not a crime. It is a strategy and it was successful for them.

We were a bit tired towards the end and we left a bit of space. But I've got nothing negative to say about my team. It's not easy to play here and not easy to play against a side which has had all week to prepare. My players tried everything to win but we couldn't.

"

Winner: Connor Wickham

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Out of contract next summer, Connor Wickham is playing an interesting game with his club as he seeks assurances about his future and playing time before he commits to a new deal.

As he is under 24 (21, to be exact) he will not be allowed to move for nothing next summer, but he nevertheless should have a few options to consider—something Sunderland will not want, having spent £8m to sign him three years ago.

It remains to be seen if a club bigger (or higher in the league) than Sunderland would want him, although with his age and attributes you wonder if someone might take a punt. The Black Cats certainly seem to be taking the situation seriously, finding ways to get him in the team and so satisfy his demands for more playing time.

That means playing out on the wing, but Wickham committed to the job and was a constant threat to Chelsea's defence, using Branislav Ivanovic's forays at the other end as a chance to catch him out when forced into defending.

All Sunderland's best chances seemed to come from Wickham's driving runs from the left. This was a strong display from him, giving Gus Poyet much to think about going forward.

Loser: Kevin Friend

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Kevin Friend probably knew this was not going to be an easy game for him to referee when he had to send Sunderland assistant manager Mauricio Taricco to the stands not long after the opening whistle.

Nevertheless, this was not the referee's finest game. He seemed to make a number of mistakes—most notably failing to punish Diego Costa after he kicked out at John O'Shea. He seemed to miss a lot of pushing and shoving in the box and, after invoking the ire of the home fans for failing to give them many decisions in the first half, Sunderland seemed to benefit from a few dubious decisions in the second half.

Friend was lucky that the game never got out of hand, even though he never really seemed to have a firm grip on it.