Sunderland v Chelsea

             

                           Sunderland v Chelsea 4/12/13

Finally found a site to watch the game on - only took me best part of half an hour. Score was 1-1 as I came into it, didn't sound like I'd missed much. Altidore had given Sunderland the lead after 14 mins, after a turn and shot in the penalty area. Could Chelsea have defended better? Probably, but the turn and shot was so quick I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Lampard equalised three minutes later with a close ranger header from Hazards cross, and then thats when I started watching it. Regarding the team selection, there wasn't too much I was disappointed with although I thought after his performance in the second half against Southampton, Ba warranted a start. But its the same old story isn't it? No matter how well the other strikers perform, the Chelsea manager (whoever it may be at the time) will still be under pressure to play Torres so Roman can claw back some of what he paid, depending on whether Torres will score - which will only happen if he gets more game time. So Torres starts again. Still unsure (at this point) about square pegs in round holes at the back ..... and didn't know how I'd feel about that at the end of the week. Anyway, back to this match. Lampard and Torres exchanged wayward shots either side of a Cech save from Altidore before something happened that really got me interested - a fine goal by Eden Hazard, who I'm sure just gets better all the time (he still young after all). After controlling a header by Torres, Hazard cut inside from the left and fired a low right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area left hand corner - good goal and with that Chelsea had a half time lead.

I pretty much expected us to kick on in the second half against a poor Sunderland team, managed of course by our former hero Gus Poyet. My memories of him are fond (if you ignore that 'celebration' when he got subbed against us playing for Spurs in a certain 5-1 league cup defeat!) and one particular memory of him came against Sunderland in fact - one of the best goals I've ever seen in a chelsea shirt by anyone, a fantastic scissor kick volley from a chipped Zola pass in a 4-0 opening day romp in the 1999-00 season. My family and I were watching that in a bar on holiday in Malta, which was a pleasant  surprise as we were not expecting to be able to watch the game with it being a 3pm Saturday kick off in England, then low and behold the bar across the road from the hotel were showing the game. So the second half (back to tonights game) kicks off and 5 mins in, signs to come of a poor defence start showing as John O'Shea, once of Man Utd, scores a soft equaliser. A low corner is failed to be cleared by a number of Chelsea players and O'Shea sweeps home a right foot shot - 2-2. But Chelsea push to go back in front, and spurn a great chance. I'll be honest, I could have killed Torres at this point. Ramires dispossessed Colbeck, and set up the on-fire Hazard for a shot, but is denied by the keeper who parries it straight to Torres. Eight yards out, keeper on the floor, easy to score right? Wrong. Torres blazes over, and well wide, not just a little bit over the bar. It is truly high and wide. Words fail me (again with him).

I didn't have to wait long thought for chelsea to re-claim the lead, and it was Hazard, having one of his best games for us, who fired us ahead again. After a skilful one-two with Lampard on the left hand side of the penalty area, who back heeled the ball to the belgian, Hazard whizzed past a couple of defenders to get in a shooting position and fired past Mannone - booked for taking off his shirt in celebration though (I hate that bloody rule).

Seemed like the game was going to fizzle out after that, Ba had a good chance with 10 mins left after he came on for Torres, firing wide when it looked like he might have had a penalty in the process for being clipped as he shot, not given though. Then with 5 mins left, the game was wrapped up (supposedly). A break away led to Ba supplying a low cross from the right that was turned into his own goal by Bardsley. 4-2 and a good game. But the drama was not over - Bardsley then turned from villain to almost hero, as he pulled one back for the Black cats (such an odd nickname) as he fired home from a corner after some more poor defending, making a hash of clearing a corner that should have been simple. Thatw as with 4 mins left - what followed was a frantic finale when Sunderland threatened an equaliser and I threatened to eat the neck-line of my pyjamas. But Chelsea held on to win 4-3, a game that was ridiculously more difficult than it should have been, and if my memory serves me correctly (I'll need to research this more thoroughly) our first 4-3 premier league win since 1998-99 season when we won an epic game 4-3 at our then-bogey team Blackburn.

Good drama but my goodness, should have been far less difficult in the end!