Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland's crucial win over Chelsea and these were my key conclusions
Sunderland got back to winning ways in the Premier League against Chelsea
Sunderland secured a much-needed Premier League win over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Phil Smith was there reporting for The Echo and these were his key conclusions…
RLB gets the response he needs to lift the gathering storm clouds
Whether Régis Le Bris’s job was truly on the line here we will never know, but it’s fair to say this felt like a crossroads moment for his Sunderland tenure. The club had backed him early in the week after an insipid defeat to Coventry City, but there was next to no reaction against Dinamo Zagreb. It was fair to wonder whether he was getting a response from his players and whether after two hugely successful years, things were beginning to run their course.
As there often is when it feels as if change could be in the air, there was a tension in the build up to this game. That dissipated very quickly because even if this was a tight game with plenty of nervy moments for the hosts, from the opening exchanges it was clear that Sunderland were well up for the fight and the crowd responded in kind.
The synergy we saw so often last season was back and all over the pitch you saw the clear signs of a group of players fighting for the badge, each other, the fans and their boss. Tackles celebrated, duels won, lost causes chased down: Sunderland looked like Sunderland again.
Their style of play won’t be to everyone’s taste but when Le Bris’s side snap and snarl like this, the Stadium of Light is a special place to watch football. It’s only the start and even the briefest of looks at the Premier League table offers a reminder of how quickly the mood could swing back the other way if the Black Cats don’t build on this. It was nevertheless a performance and a result to savour. While Sunderland were a little fortunate Danny Welbeck’s late header flew over the bar, they deserved the three points even if Chelsea dominated possession. Sunderland controlled the first half even from a generally deep defensive position, Robin Roefs a relative bystander and the hosts having the best chances from open play as well as from the penalty spot. Chelsea definitely had a great level of control in the second following Xabi Alonso’s decision to drop Moises Caicedo to centre back, and certainly around the hour mark Sunderland looked on the ropes a little physically. They steadied, though, and the best chance of the half fell to Wilson Isidor who was denied well by Mike Penders. It wasn’t a dominant performance but it was most certainly not a smash and grab. It was Le Bris’s Sunderland at their best, which will buy him time. One of the best managers of the modern era, Wearside is desperate for the head coach to get things back on track. This was no more than a start, but a welcome one at that.
Solid foundation key to turnaround
The fine margins have so often gone against Sunderland this season, and this was a welcome change in fortune. Had the referee pointed to the spot when Luke O’Nien clattered into Cole Palmer with the score still 0-0, would VAR have overturned it? Given how tight the call looked on replay, you’d have to think not. It was a rare moment of luck for Sunderland this season but equally, one of the only mistakes they made at the back right throughout the game.
It is surely no coincidence that with Thomas Meunier and Nordi Mukiele back and in the same XI, Sunderland looked defensively far more secure and cut out the errors which have plagued their campaign to date. Sunderland have now kept three clean sheets at the Stadium of Light this season, and Mukiele has been a starting centre back in every one of them. In an ideal world, Le Bris would love to have the Frenchman bursting forward from right back but at the moment it’s a luxury he simply cannot afford.
Mukiele has a decent chemistry with O’Nien and this will surely be the partnership moving forward until Dan Ballard returns from injury. It’s Sunderland's best hope of keeping a clean sheet, and it is no exaggeration based on what we have seen this season to suggest that the moment Mukiele was passed fit for this game was the moment that three points became a distinct possibility. He’s crucial at any moment for this Sunderland team, but utterly vital at this one.
Join the Echo’s WhatsApp SAFC Channel for the latest news, team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join.
Chemsdine Talbi marks fresh start with solid display
Talbi’s recent cup performances and a decent showing off the bench against Leeds United offered hope that behind the scenes, a line had been drawn under a frustrating summer in which transfer speculation seemed to damage the progress he had made in his first season at the club.
Le Bris revealed after recalling him to the starting XI here that the pair had cleared the air a few weeks back, with the head coach telling the winger to get his head down and be ready for his opportunity. While the chance he was waiting for late on drifted just wide of the far post, Talbi did well. His excellent cross in the first half should have been converted by Brian Brobbey, and though he lost his man once or twice in the second half he put in a good shift to support Reinildo. A clear step in the right direction and another positive.
Jules Ahoka is a star in the making
In the circumstances, a simply ridiculous performance from a player who still has only a handful of senior appearances to his name.
Sunderland face a nervous wait to discover the extent of Granit Xhaka’s injury but they know now they can trust the youngster waiting in the wings. His age and inexperience means errors and some inconsistency is inevitable, but the talent is beyond doubt. A very exciting talent.
Your next Sunderland read: Ref Watch trio deliver verdict on three key flashpoints in Sunderland v Chelsea