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Chelsea and José Mourinho frustrated in goalless draw with Sunderland Chelsea and José Mourinho frustrated in goalless draw with Sunderland
(about 3 hours later)
José Mourinho wore the contemplative frown of a man minded to cancel Christmas but it could have been much worse for Chelsea’s manager. As the final whistle blew José Mourinho wore the contemplative frown of a man minded to cancel Christmas but it could have been much worse for the Chelsea manager.
After all had Adam Johnson not missed a simple late chance for Sunderland, his side would have lost their unbeaten Premier League record. Similarly, standing at another angle, Kevin Friend might well have sent Diego Costa off after a tangle with Wes Brown and, on another day, John Terry’s increasingly bristling aggression could have got him into trouble. After all, had Adam Johnson not missed a simple late chance for Sunderland his side would have lost their unbeaten Premier League record. Similarly, standing at another angle, Kevin Friend might arguably have sent Diego Costa off after a tangle with Wes Brown.
Instead all that Chelsea sacrificed was their record of scoring in every Premier League game this season and the chance to have gone nine points – rather than a mere seven – clear at the top of the table.Instead all that Chelsea sacrificed was their record of scoring in every Premier League game this season and the chance to have gone nine points – rather than a mere seven – clear at the top of the table.
Mourinho cancelled Chelsea’s Christmas party in the wake of his side’s League Cup quarter-final defeat here a year ago and, even worse for the Portuguese, Sunderland won at Stamford Bridge in the league last April. Some might even argue Mourinho escaped relatively lightly against opponents who have a bit of an Indian sign over them. Inspired by Lee Cattermole’s exceptional midfield dynamism and some impressive defending on John O’Shea’s part, the Wearsiders deserved their point but may feel they should have been celebrating an unlikely hat-trick on Saturday night.
Initially the chances of lightning striking thrice for Gus Poyet’s players seemed slim. Indeed they appeared to recede every time Willian assumed possession. One of Mourinho’s brighter first-half sparks, Willian worried Sunderland from a flexible right-sided attacking role and could count himself a little unlucky to see a shot hit a post. Mourinho scrapped Chelsea’s Christmas party in the wake of his side’s League Cup quarter final defeat here a year ago and, even worse for the Portuguese, Sunderland won at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League in April.
He and his team-mates spent much of that half passing the ball around in Sunderland’s half, forcing Poyet’s team alarmingly deep. When Sunderland did win the ball they tended to lose it far too quickly and one of these self-destructive cameos very nearly prompted a counter-attacking goal for Costa. Failure to exert proper revenge must have been galling but, by the time he faced the media, his technical area scowl had been replaced by an air of sanguine resignation.
Liberated by Cesc Fàbregas’s defence bisecting pass from deep, Costa was advancing with menace only to be denied by John O’Shea’s excellent, immaculately timed, sliding tackle. “Of course this year’s party’s still on,” said the Chelsea manager. “Sunderland defended very, very well. Some people, some football Einsteins, criticise defensive teams, they say defending is a crime but I don’t, they were playing for a clean sheet, they were successful in that objective and I praise them. We tried everything to win but we couldn’t win – and don’t forget we arrived home from Schalke at 5am in midweek.”
It was the sort of incisive challenge on which matches can turn and it appeared to galvanise Sunderland. Sure enough in the aftermath of Santiago Vergini’s clever deception of César Azpilicueta, Jack Rowell tested Thibaut Courtois from 30 yards. It was a routine save but at least hinted at the promise of a proper contest ahead. Perhaps tiredness did catch up with his team because Chelsea began deceptively brightly with Willian, particularly, worrying Sunderland while also hitting a post with a first-half shot.
Poyet could have won prizes for moaning at match officials during his days as a Chelsea player but it was his assistant Mauricio Taricco who incurred the wrath of the referee, Kevin Friend. Taricco was ordered down the tunnel, apparently after complaining, somewhat vehemently, about a series of Friend’s decisions to Lee Mason, the fourth official. At that point Poyet’s players were penned far too deep in their own half but, then, partway through the first half, came one of those moments on which matches can turn.
Perhaps their debate had centred on Adam Johnson, who looked to go down rather easily on a couple of occasions before being summarily told to get up by an unsympathetic Friend. Liberated by Cesc Fàbregas’s defence bisecting pass from deep, Costa advanced with menace only to be denied by O’Shea’s excellent, immaculately timed, sliding tackle.
More encouragingly for Poyet, Connor Wickham’s deployment wide on the left was giving Bransilav Ivanovic an odd uncomfortable moment and when Wickham stole in front of the right-back, his resultant cross forced Courtois into an uncharacteristically awkward punch. Briefly, Chelsea appeared in defensive disarray but Johnson could not control the loose ball and a rare home opportunity vanished. Galvanised by that interception, Santiago Vergini cleverly deceived César Azpilicueta, enabling Jack Rowell to test Thibaut Courtois from 30 yards. It was a routine save but marked the start of a proper contest.
Mourinho would probably have been more concerned about the erosion of Chelsea’s initial attacking menace; something epitomised by a frustrated Costa kicking out at O’Shea as half-time beckoned and being a little lucky to escape a yellow card. Poyet could have won prizes for moaning at referees during his days as a Chelsea player, but it was his assistant Mauricio Taricco who incurred Friend’s wrath here. Taricco was ordered down the tunnel, apparently sent off after complaining, somewhat vehemently, about Friend’s decisions to Lee Mason, the fourth official.
Across in the home dressing-room Poyet must have rued the instant when Lee Cattermole’s cross was deflected into the path of Vergini, who proceeded to lift the ball over Courtois but also fractionally over the bar. More positively, Connor Wickham’s highly effective deployment wide on the home left was giving Bransilav Ivanovic several uncomfortable moments and when Wickham stole in front of the right-back, his resultant cross forced Courtois into an uncharacterstically awkward punch. A little later Vergini met Cattermole’s deflected cross and lifted the ball imperiously over Courtois but also narrowly over the bar.
Poyet knows openings like that do not come along very often against Chelsea these days but at least his players were succeeding in rattling them. It was not Mourinho’s only cause for concern on an evening when Costa appeared lucky to escape unpunished after kicking out at O’Shea.
And no one more so than Costa. As if taking an growing dislike to O’Shea was not sufficient the visiting striker could arguably count himself fortunate not to be sent off after appearing to accidentally on purpose catch Brown in the mouth with a flailing arm as the pair challenged for a header. To considerable local chagrin, Costa was merely shown a yellow card – and, under the totting up rule, will consequently be suspended for Chelsea’s midweek game against Tottenham. As if taking a growing dislike to the Ireland centre-half was not sufficient the much lauded striker could arguably count himself fortunate not to be sent off after appearing to accidentally on purpose catch Brown in the mouth with a flailing, non-leading arm as the pair challenged for a header.
If the majority of the 45,232 inside the Stadium of Light were convinced he should now be starting a three-match ban after seeing red, apologists argued it was unintentional. The riposte to that theory though is that Brown found himself felled by Costa’s non-leading arm. To considerable local chagrin, Costa was merely booked – and, under the totting up rule, will consequently be suspended for Chelsea’s midweek game against Tottenham. “I don’t know,” said Mourinho when asked if he should have been dismissed. “I’ve been told he was unlucky to get a yellow.”
With Pantilimon making light of Nemanja Matic’s long-range shot, the home side then cruised towards keeping Chelsea blank. Desperate to change the direction the game was taking, he subsequently replaced Costa and Oscar with Didier Drogba and Loïc Rémy but still the excellent Cattermole- (Roy Hodgson surely has to issue him an England summons) - kept destroying their previously assured passing rhythm.
When Jozy Altidore’s cross was deflected to Johnson’s feet, time momentarily stood still. It was a highly inviting chance but the winger, on his weaker foot, directed the ensuing shot fractionally the wrong side of a post before covering his face with his hands.
Not that his manager was overly dismayed at the end of an evening that left John Terry bristling with barely concealed aggression. “We need to be pleased with a point,” said Poyet. “We’ve stopped Chelsea scoring for the first time this season. It would have taken something very special from them to beat us.”