Reflections on Chelsea's 2-1 Win Against Sunderland

Chelsea may not have been at their fluent best against Sunderland on Sunday, but the three points the Blues won could prove vital in their chase for a Champions League slot come the end of the season.

It was, perhaps, not a surprise that Rafa Benitez’s team looked a bit jaded at times during the game at Stamford Bridge; this, after all, was their fourth game in nine days—a punishing schedule which was bound to take its toll.

Under the circumstances, the Blues did well to take all three points against a well-organised Black Cats side, especially after going behind through Cesar Azpilicueta’s own goal just before half-time.

The arrival of Fernando Torres, who replaced the injured Demba Ba at half-time, proved to be the key to Chelsea’s victory. The in-form Spaniard set up the Blues’ equaliser with a blistering run, and although there was an element of fortune about the goal—as, indeed, there was about Branislav Ivanovic’s winner—the home side probably just about deserved to take the honours.

For more thoughts about the match, read on.

1. Rafa is Doing a Good Professional Job

Rafa Benitez may not be a popular figure with the majority of Chelsea fans, but even the harshest of his critics would have to admit that he has performed capably while guiding the Blues through an intense period of fixtures.

Yes, there were criticisms of his team selection for the defeat at Southampton the previous weekend, but in the three subsequent games against Manchester United, Rubin Kazan and Sunderland, he has managed his squad perfectly.

Three home wins on the trot inside a week will have gone down very well indeed with the Chelsea faithful, and there are signs that the antipathy felt towards Benitez by many fans is decreasing slightly. On Sunday, for example, there were no audible chants against the Spaniard, even if there were some in favour of former managers Roberto Di Matteo and Jose Mourinho.

Who knows, Benitez may yet leave the Bridge in the summer to a soundtrack of muted applause in recognition of a professional job well done, rather than the jeers and catcalls which greeted his appointment last year.

2. Di Canio Still Has Questions to Answer

All eyes were on Paolo Di Canio on Sunday as he made his debut as Sunderland manager at Stamford Bridge.

The Black Cats’ boss was an animated figure on the touchline and would certainly have impressed any scouts from Strictly Come Dancing with some of his more eye-catching moves.

Nonetheless, by the eccentric Italian’s standards it was a fairly muted performance.

Afterwards, in the post-match press conference, Di Canio seemed fairly happy with his team’s display, although he did make a barbed comment about his players’ fitness levels in a clear dig at his predecessor, Martin O’Neill.

His rather frazzled-looking press officer was keen to prevent the subject of discussion switching from the match to Di Canio’s controversial political beliefs, but the assembled hacks were just as eager to get stuck into a debate on fascism, racism and the Sunderland-supporting miners who have said they won’t return to the Stadium of Light while Il Duce—sorry, I mean Di Canio—remains in charge.

In the end, Paolo shuffled off without providing any more answers. But the questions won’t go away—just like that Mussolini tattoo he’s got on his back.    

3. Going Down, Going Down, Going Down!

After the weekend’s results, the relegation picture has become a little clearer. Reading and QPR look doomed, and in all likelihood one of Aston Villa, Stoke City, Sunderland and Wigan will accompany them through the trap door.

But which of those four clubs should Chelsea fans hope goes down? Some might argue that Stoke play the least attractive football and would not be missed if they dropped out of the Premier League. Others might find Paolo Di Canio’s politics so repellent that they would love to see Sunderland relegated.

Another group might point to Wigan’s poor attendances, lack of history and dearth of big names and argue they are not really a genuine top-flight outfit. So, that leaves Aston Villa—a famous traditional club with a huge fanbase and currently playing some decent stuff—as the neutrals faves to stay up. Right?

Yet, consider this. Over the last five years Chelsea have won nine out 10 league games against Sunderland, and eight out of 10 against both Stoke and Wigan. The Blues, though, have found Villa far trickier opponents, winning just five out of the last 10 encounters.

The inescapable conclusion is that, on a purely self-interested basis, Chelsea fans should be hoping that the Brummies join Reading and QPR in the Championship next season.     

4. Next Stop, Moscow

After a hectic schedule of four games in nine days, the Blues could do with a few days’ rest. A bit of time spent pottering around the garden, or flicking through the channels trying to find something decent to watch on TV would probably be rather appealing to most of the players right now.

Instead, Chelsea will be flying off to Moscow this week for the second leg of their Europa League tie against Rubin Kazan. At least the Blues have been spared an even longer trip to Tatarstan, but the players could probably have done without a couple of days in the Russian capital at this late stage of the season.

Rafa Benitez, though, seems set on winning something during his brief reign as Chelsea boss and will approach the match in Moscow as a huge opportunity, rather than a dreary chore. That’s all well and good, but he needs to realise that there will be more tired performances like the one against Sunderland if he runs the likes of Juan Mata and Ramires—both of whom have started the last three games—into the ground.

The match against Rubin, then, is a perfect opportunity for some of the players who have had a relatively low workload in recent weeks—such as Marko Marin, Yossi Benayoun and Paulo Ferreira—to step up to the plate, while some of the more established names rest their weary legs and catch up with the latest goings on in EastEnders and Coronation Street.