Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 for first league win since August

Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, their first Premier League win since August, BBC Sport reported. The only goal came from a first-half penalty that Chelsea players and manager Enzo Maresca disputed.

The win moves Sunderland out of the bottom three on goal difference. Chelsea stay fifth, missing the chance to overtake Manchester City for a top-four spot.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris set his team up to press high and frustrate Chelsea’s build-up, and the visitors never found a rhythm. Chelsea had more possession but created little. The defeat continues a rough patch for Maresca, whose team has now dropped points in three of their last five league matches.

What the coverage missed

The penalty decision is the story. Chelsea felt the contact was minimal and that the Sunderland player initiated it. Maresca said afterward that the officiating is “a nightmare” for coaches who cannot understand what constitutes a foul in the box anymore. He is right that the standard shifts week to week, but he also needs to look at his own team’s failure to score from open play against a side that had not won since August.

Sunderland did not deserve to win on possession or chances. They deserved to win on nerve. They defended the lead for nearly an hour and never panicked. That is what a team at the bottom needs and rarely produces.

Chelsea’s problem is not the referee. It is that they have one of the most expensive squads in the league and cannot break down a team that spent the afternoon in 18th place. Maresca was hired to fix the attacking play, and it has regressed since September.

What I think

Sunderland will take the three points and not apologize. A team that had not won in three months cannot be choosy about how it wins. Le Bris has them fighting, and that is enough for now.

Chelsea are the story, and it is not a good one. The board spent heavily in the summer, the fans expected a title challenge, and the team is fifth and losing to Sunderland. Maresca is not on the hot seat yet, but he will be if this continues. The next two matches are against top-six opposition. Drop points in both and the conversation changes.