A record-breaking run is over, a title challenge is on its last legs and a surreal season has its strangest result yet. This was weird and, for Sunderland, wonderful.
They arrived at Stamford Bridge bottom of the Premier League. Chelsea had the chance to go top. Instead, Jose Mourinho, who had never lost a home league game in his two spells in charge, suffered the unfamiliar sensation of defeat in his stronghold.
It was a statistical marvel with major consequences at both ends of the league. Sunderland, down and out when they took one point from eight games, now have four from two, damaging the title prospects of first Manchester City and now Chelsea.
They have a lifeline, but the greatest beneficiaries of the Wearsiders' improbable revival are the Merseysiders. Chelsea's past provided a present to Liverpool. Gus Poyet, a Chelsea icon as a player, configured his defence superbly. Fabio Borini, who began his English career at Stamford Bridge, scored the winner. The former Chelsea forward, on loan from Liverpool, served both of his current employers by converting the decisive penalty.
A cryptic Mourinho, citing both the official who awarded the spot kick and the referees’ chief, provided a bizarre analysis.
“Congratulations to my players, congratulations to Sunderland, congratulations to Mike Dean because he made a fantastic performance and congratulations to Mike Riley because of the way he organised things with the referees doing well according to their objectives,” he said.
The flashpoint came when Cesar Azpilicueta first slipped and then, attempting to regain possession, slid in on Jozy Altidore.
“Very tough for the referee,” Poyet said. Dean pointed to the spot and, as Mark Schwarzer dived one way, Borini rolled it the other.
Rui Faria, one of Chelsea’s coaching staff, launched into an extraordinary tirade at the referee and was sent to the stands. The manager, with his pretence at politeness, will likely escape punishment.
His midfielder may not and any analysis of Dean’s performance has to include the recognition that Ramires was lucky to complete the game. The Brazilian headed wide of an unguarded net, perhaps because of a timely shove from Sebastian Larsson. Then, when the Swede tripped him a minute later, Ramires lashed out at Larsson with a slap that could have brought him a red card.
The controversy deflected from the visitors’ defiant excellence.
“With Sunderland this year, anything can happen,” a philosophical Poyet said.
Such are their unfathomable eccentricities that they went behind and still came back to win. They trailed when Lee Cattermole allowed Samuel Eto’o to volley in Willian’s corner. They could have scored a second set-piece goal when Branislav Ivanovic was kept out by a combination of goalkeeper Vito Mannone and the bar.
Yet while Chelsea kept having chances and the eventual statistics showed they had 31 shots and Mannone made 14 saves, the reality was that Sunderland rallied after going behind.
Connor Wickham has become a symbol of their unexpected renaissance. The striker had not scored a Premier League goal since October 2011. Now he has three in two days, and an equaliser came when Schwarzer parried the excellent Marcos Alonso's volley. Wickham converted the rebound and Chelsea were left to rue the absence of the injured Petr Cech. The Australian became the oldest player in their history.
By the end, the salient figure was the 77-game unbeaten run, spread over a decade, that came to an abrupt end. Mourinho preferred to fuel conspiracy theories about the officiating rather than analyse his side’s performance, but, over the years, his sides have excelled in finding ways to win. This one found a way to lose – the match and, perhaps, the title.
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