Source: Northern_Echo
Chelsea 7 Sunderland 2
Chelsea 7 Sunderland 2[LNB] EXPLANATION A is that it was a blip. A sizeable one admittedly, given that Sunderland conceded seven goals in a game for the second time in three seasons, but there were mitigating factors and Chelsea played with a style and swagger that makes them worthy short-priced favourites for the Premier League title.[LNB] Best to write it off as a bad day at the office and quickly move on.[LNB] Explanation B is that it was a wake-up call. Yes, there were mitigating factors, most notably the absence of eight senior players through a combination of injury, suspension and the African Cup of Nations, but there will always be mitigating factors when you are operating with a squad as small as Sunderland's.[LNB] The transfer window closes in two weeks time, and Saturday's result confirmed the need for Steve Bruce to make wider changes than he perhaps envisaged.[LNB] Explanation C is that it was a harrowing vision of what lies ahead. Forget mitigating factors, this was not an isolated incident as Sunderland have now won just one of their last 12 league games. Their earlyseason form is nothing more than a distant memory and, even if changes are made in the next fortnight, a second successive relegation battle is all but inevitable given the club's current position within four points of the bottom three.[LNB] Is the glass half full, half empty, or not even there to be filled at all The answer will become clear in the final 17 Premier League matches, but given the limited time in which changes are possible via the transfer market, a tentative verdict is necessary now.[LNB] The hope is that it is A. The fear is that it is C. But the belief, among supporters and staff alike, is that it is probably veering more towards B than anything else. Saturday's humiliation was neither a temporary aberration nor evidence of some incurable ills.[LNB] It was, however, a prompt for change, whether that be through signings, the return of injured players, or preferably a combination of both.[LNB] We got our backsides spanked didn't we said Bruce, with characteristic and commendable honesty. We simply couldn't cope. Without our big players we found it too difficult.[LNB] I'm not looking for excuses, we simply weren't good enough to play against Chelsea in a lot of areas because of the situation with injuries and suspensions.[LNB] That's the facts, so the one thing I'm not going to do is panic over a hiding from Chelsea. They can do that to a lot of teams. If there's anyone available, we'll have a look at it.[LNB] We're close on one, but I can't envisage me being ultra-busy, that's for sure.[LNB] The most important thing is to get our big players back and we're edging towards that.[LNB] (Craig) Gordon, (Lee) Cattermole, (Andy) Reid, (Kieran) Richardson, (Michael) Turner the spine of our team really. We hope we can get them all back in the next week or so.[LNB] The return of that quintet would undoubtedly help, but it would not completely eradicate the fear that Sunderland are illequipped to cope with the inevitable injuries and suspensions that will continue to come along in the second half of the season.[LNB] When he arrived in the summer, Bruce made the understandable decision to trim down the bloated squad he inherited from Roy Keane, but it is increasingly hard to escape the conclusion that the Black Cats boss went marginally too far.[LNB] Danny Collins and Teemu Tainio might not have been the greatest players in the world when they were wearing the red-and-white of Sunderland, but had they been around at the weekend, Bruce would not have had to play Lorik Cana at centre-half, a disastrous decision that backfired as early as the tenth minute, or hand David Meyler his second Premier League start and instruct him to keep tabs on England international Frank Lampard, a task that was understandably beyond him.[LNB] Instead, Collins and Tainio both disappeared on the final day of the August transfer window, to Stoke and Birmingham respectively, and any slack in the Sunderland squad effectively departed with them.[LNB] That is the primary weakness that desperately needs addressing, but it remains to be seen whether Bruce is able, or even willing, to instigate the necessary changes this month. Might he instead conclude that, once everyone is back, things will immediately become okay[LNB] We were going well (at the start of the season), but we lost our goalkeeper to a broken arm and people like Cattermole and Turner to injury and suspension, he said. We'll be okay, once we get them fit and marching again.[LNB] We'll be okay, especially defensively, and that's where we need a bit of luck because I don't think I've put the same back four out for weeks and maybe months. We certainly need a bit of stability there.[LNB] Sunderland were anything but stable at the weekend, as a rampant Chelsea ripped them to shreds through a combination of pace, movement and vision that could well have resulted in more than the seven goals that were eventually scored.[LNB] Nicolas Anelka was in ebullient mood up front, Lampard and Michael Ballack were imperious in central midfield, and Ashley Cole was sensational as a left-back-cumleft- winger before he was withdrawn, possibly to prevent further embarrassment, at the interval.[LNB] Phil Bardsley and Steed Malbranque can rarely have experienced a more chastening 45 minutes, and given that Bruce was understood to harbour concerns about the duo at kick-off, it would be interesting to know exactly what he feels about them now.[LNB] Their failure to check Cole's rampaging runs was a major factor in Chelsea's first-half dominance, as was Cana's capitulation at centre half, the position he regularly fills for his country.[LNB] The Albanian was stood with his hand in the air as Anelka evaded the offside trap to fire Chelsea ahead, and stood off Florent Malouda as the Frenchman advanced unchallenged for more than 20 yards to double the lead.[LNB] Ashley Cole made it three with the goal of the game minutes later, plucking John Terry's long ball out of the air, turning inside Cana and deftly chipping over Marton Fulop, and only 34 minutes had elapsed when Lampard volleyed home the fourth.[LNB] Ballack headed home Joe Cole's cross seven minutes after the interval to pile on further misery, but Bolo Zenden at least gave the sizeable travelling contingent something to smile about when he drilled home his first Sunderland goal four minutes later.[LNB] Anelka scored Chelsea's sixth after a weak punch from Fulop, and Lampard scored his second of the afternoon with a deft header in stoppage time.[LNB] That still wasn't that, though, as Darren Bent made it 14 Premier League goals for the season seconds later, stabbing home the ninth goal of a madcap match from close range.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 1-0: Anelka (8, collected Ballack's through ball and rounded Fulop before slotting home)[LNB] 2-0: Malouda (18, ran unchallenged for 20 yards before firing low into bottom corner)[LNB] 3-0: A Cole (22, trapped Terry's long ball before turning Cana and slotting home)[LNB] 4-0: Lampard (34, volleyed home A Cole's left-wing cross at the back post)[LNB] 5-0: Ballack (52, evaded both centre halves to head home J Cole's rightwing cross)[LNB] 5-1: Zenden (56mins, drilled home from edge of area)[LNB] 6-1: Anelka (65, fired home after Fulop punched Zhirkov's cross)[LNB] 7-1: Lampard (90, headed Anelka's right-wing cross past Fulop from 12 yards)[LNB] 7-2: Bent (90, prodded home from close range after Da Silva headed back across goal)[LNB] Bookings: Bardsley (66, foul)[LNB] Referee: Chris Foy (St Helens) Did Sunderland a favour when he overlooked a potentially two-footed challenge from Cana 6[LNB] Attendance: 41,776[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Cech 6; Ivanovic 6, Carvalho 7, Terry 7 (Alex 46, 6), A COLE 9 (Zhirkov 46, 7); Lampard 8, Ballack 8, Belletti 7; J Cole 7, Anelka 8, Malouda 6. Subs (not used): Hilario (gk), Ferreira, Borini, Matic, Sturridge[LNB] SUNDERLAND (4-4-2):[LNB] 5 Fulop: Contributed to Anelka's second, but made two superb saves;[LNB] 3 Bardsley: Terrorised by Ashley Cole before the interval and never really recovered[LNB] 3 Cana: At fault for Chelsea's opener, but was asked to play out of position in the back four[LNB] 4 Da Silva: Never got close enough to Anelka and was pulled out of position[LNB] 5 McCartney: The pick of Sunderland's back four, but that wasn't saying much;[LNB] 3 Malbranque: Humiliated by A Cole in the first half and failed to reappear after half-time[LNB] 4 Meyler: Outclassed by Chelsea's midfield, but his lack of experience is a factor[LNB] 4 Henderson: Never stopped running, but failed to exert any kind of influence[LNB] 4 Murphy: Ineffective in attack, and struggled to offer much protection to his defence;[LNB] 5 Jones: Won his fair share of headers and tried his best to bring team-mates into the game[LNB] 4 Bent: Scored late on, but failed to offer much of an outlet for the players behind him[LNB] Subs:[LNB] ZENDEN (for Malbranque 46): Took his goal superbly and tried to turn the midfield tide after the break 6 Campbell (for Murphy 72) (not used): Carson (gk), L Noble, Liddle, Healy, R Noble[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] ASHLEY Cole He only played for the first 45 minutes, but the England international produced an outstanding exhibition of the full-back's art.[LNB]
