Sunderland beat Chelsea for a third time running with their captain off inside four minutes
Granit Xhaka's injury left Sunderland with a 20-year-old in his place, three days after they had been booed off against Dinamo Zagreb, and they held Chelsea out without him. The win is their first in the league since 30 August and lifts them off the bottom.
One pull of a shirt decided it. Levi Colwill had hold of Brian Brobbey's as the striker ran past him into the area, Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot, and Enzo Le Fée put the penalty low into the bottom left corner in the 36th minute. Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0, their third win running over them.
Sunderland
- 1Chris Rigg
- 2Nilson Angulo
- 3Malick Fofana
- 4Jules Ahoka
- 5Melker Ellborg
- 6Kevin Danso
- 7Dayann Methalie
- 8Tymur Tutierov
- 9Wilson Isidor
Chelsea
- 1Emmanuel Emegha
- 2Malo Gusto
- 3Geovany Quenda
- 4Aaron Anselmino
- 5Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli
- 6Danny Welbeck
- 7Valentín Barco
- 8Estevao
- 9Teddy Sharman-Lowe
They did it without their captain. Granit Xhaka went off injured in the fourth minute, and Jules Ahoka, 20, took his place in midfield, three days after Sunderland had lost 2-0 at home to Dinamo Zagreb and been booed at half-time and at the end.
Chelsea had made their own claim first. In the 24th minute Luke O'Nien brought Cole Palmer down as he ran at the box; Gillett waved play on, and the review found the contact had come outside the area. Little else of Xabi Alonso's side reached Robin Roefs. Morgan Rogers headed wide from a free header, Alonso took Colwill off at half-time and sent on Estevao, and the second half brought Chelsea no serious chance.
Chelsea had had a week since beating Manchester United; Sunderland had had three days since Thursday. It was the side with the three days that finished the stronger. Régis Le Bris had said before the match that his team needed to be pragmatic first, because conceding makes a game harder to win. A penalty and a clean sheet were exactly that.
Seven of Sunderland's eight points have now come at the Stadium of Light. The win is their first in the league since they beat Fulham on 30 August, and it takes them off the bottom to 18th for the international break, which Le Bris now spends as the manager who beat Chelsea rather than the one asked about his job. Chelsea stay on 16 points.
