Chelsea vs. Sunderland: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Chelsea began the post-Jose Mourinho era with a 3-1 home victory over Sunderland on Saturday in the Premier League.
The Blues started brightly, scoring twice in the first 13 minutes, through Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro. Oscar made it 3-0 with a penalty early in the second half, with Fabio Borini pulling a goal back for Sunderland in the 53rd minute.
"There was a lot of pressure before the game but we brought it on ourselves," Chelsea captain John Terry said, per BBC Sport. "Absolutely and rightly so as well. Chelsea is such a big club. We are not used to being here, we've had a lot of good times in the last 10 years.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner and Loser: Jose Mourinho
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The sentiments of the home supporters were unmistakable. Before kickoff, throughout the 90 minutes and after the final whistle, Chelsea fans were fully behind departed manager Jose Mourinho.
Signs, banners and songs extolled the Special One, who remains "one of us," as one sign put it. The outpouring of support will surely warm Mourinho's heart, and it's likely that any pain he's feeling will be lessened by the severance pay he'll receive.
In a statement released through his agent, Mourinho seemed untroubled indeed.
"He will not be taking a sabbatical, he isn't tired, he doesn't need it," a statement read (h/t BBC Sport). "He is very positive and is already looking forward."
For all his positivity, however, Mourinho won't have missed the sudden and marked improvement shown by Chelsea. The Blues stormed out of the gates, with Branislav Ivanovic breaking the deadlock in the fifth minute and Pedro doubling the lead just eight minutes later. The players were obviously energized and their collective performance in those first 13 minutes suggested a weight had been lifted.
As Opta Joe noted, those two goals were as many as Chelsea had scored in their final five league matches under Mourinho. And as Squawka reported, the Blues had not scored two goals in a Premier League match since October.
So, whose fault was it? Was Chelsea's poor run down to Mourinho? Or did the players quit on him?
"Early days but it was suggested to me this week that now Mourinho is gone, the Chelsea players' form might improve. If so, Jose was problem," tweeted BBC Sport's' Alistair Magowan.
Then again:
"Easy to surmise from the opening 20 mins that the players were prepared to tank the season until Mourinho was fired," tweeted Football Radar analyst Jack Rathborn. "Shameful."
Either way, owner Roman Abramovich will know he can ride out the storm with Guus Hiddink in charge. And regardless of where the blame lies, the evidence from this game—as inconclusive as one match is—suggests he was right to make a change.
Wait and See: Guus Hiddink
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Less than 90 minutes before kickoff, Chelsea confirmed the news that widespread reports had already anticipated: Guus Hiddink has come back.
Hiddink, a manager with vast experience, will lead Chelsea until the end of the season, per a statement on the club's official website. It's far from the first time Blues owner Roman Abramovich has made such an arrangement, and in fact, Hiddink won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2009 in his first stint as caretaker manager.
That time, the Dutchman cleaned up the mess left by Luiz Felipe Scolari. Now, he's back for more following Chelsea's poor start to the season and the departure of Jose Mourinho.
The Blues have taken just 15 points from their first 16 matches, meaning the title and probably the top four are out of reach. But as Elko Born wrote for BBC Sport, Hiddink is capable of turning results around:
"While building a new team from the ground up might not be his cup of tea any more, he may well be one of the best caretaker managers available.
He knows how to put a hand on a player's shoulder at exactly the right moment. He knows how and when to compliment his best players.
He knows how to make a team relax, and he knows how to restore trust in a dressing room consumed by stress and fear.
In this regard, Hiddink might be an ideal fit for Chelsea at this moment in time.
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Coming barely six months after his own dismissal from the Dutch national team, Hiddink's appointment is also a moment of personal vindication. The 69-year-old has enjoyed many triumphant moments in football, but now he has another chance to show he still has what it takes to be successful with an elite club.
"I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge," Hiddink told Chelsea's website. "Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around."
Hiddink watched Saturday's match from the stands, with Steve Holland and Eddie Newton in charge of Chelsea's players for the day. From here on, however, he's the man in charge.
The fans were firmly behind Mourinho throughout Saturday's game, but Hiddink will have his chance to win them over.
Losers: Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard
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While the support for Jose Mourinho was clear, there was also no mistaking the feelings of a vocal section of Chelsea's supporters toward Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard.
One sign depicted the three players as rats, apparently referencing the trio's presumed role in Mourinho's demise. In addition, Fabregas and Costa heard a few boos when they left the match for substitutes in the second half.
Hazard, who was injured, did not play, but it's likely he would have experienced the same treatment.
Were those three players at fault for Mourinho's departure? That debate is for another time and place, but it's certain that they face a tough task in winning back Chelsea's fans in the coming weeks and months.
With Chelsea fighting to turn their season around, that's not what Fabregas, Costa and Hazard need to be thinking about.
Winner: Oscar
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Oscar, a player shackled creatively under Jose Mourinho, thrived for Chelsea in this match. Notably, the Brazilian felt free to pull out his full bag of tricks and flicks, thrilling fans with a sparkling performance.
On being substituted in the 82nd minute, Oscar left the pitch to warm applause from the home fans. In those 82 minutes, he was Chelsea's best player, running at the defense, picking out dangerous passes and capping a fine display with a 50th-minute penalty.
Oscar will be aiming to keep up the good form in the coming weeks as Chelsea go through a busy holiday fixture list.
Winner: Branislav Ivanovic
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Branislav Ivanovic was one of the Chelsea players whose form had noticeably dropped this season. But within five minutes, the full-back had scored his first league goal of the campaign, with a thumping header from a corner.
With Mourinho gone, does this goal mean a sustained uptick in form? It's too early to say, but Ivanovic will be pleased to have ended a personal scoring drought.
Winner: Pedro
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Like Ivanovic, Pedro benefited from Chelsea's energetic start to the match.
In the 13th minute, the Spaniard switched the point of attack to Ivanovic on the right and continued his run into the box. Ivanovic's cross bounced off two defenders before Pedro slammed in his finish.
It was his first league goal since August, and like so many others at the club, Pedro will be looking to make a fresh start under Hiddink.
