The Post Mourinho Era for Chelsea kicked off with a comfortable win against Sunderland. With Guus Hiddink in the VIP box along with Drogba and Abramovich, it may have felt like an opportunity for the players to showcase their commitment in front of their new manager.
It could also have been thought of as a long evening for the players with the fans certainly showing their support for their previous manager. However, Chelsea flew off to a great start. They were quite dominant in those early stages against a Sunderland defence which looked ragged to say the least. Their dominance was reflected in the score line as well.
Within the first 13 minutes, Chelsea scored twice and that is something which has been very rarely witnessed this season. The first one was through a corner wherein Ivanovic powerfully headed past Pantilimon. The second was through a firm strike by Pedro with Chelsea showing some good movement in that final third. It was not only the goals but also the way Chelsea played that surprised most of them. There were certain sections of the crowd certainly questioning the absence of this attitude under Mourinho.
The first half certainly delineated why this squad were champions last season. It only got better in the second half when Pantilimon tripped Willian in the box with Oscar calmly converting the resulting penalty. However, the uncertainty that has plagued the Chelsea defence all season came to light again in the first goal. Borini tapped home from close range after some horrendous marking by the Chelsea defenders for the free kick. It turned out to be a mere consolation though, with Chelsea being able to see out the game quite comfortably.
However, this game certainly had more importance than just the three points. The fans are certainly unhappy with the attitude of the players who they believe were clearly responsible for the removal of their favorite manager. They certainly showed it in their behavior towards Fabregas and Costa while they were being substituted. This is just a start and it will certainly be a tall order for Hiddink to lift the spirit of this squad and win the support of the fans,
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| FULL-TIME Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland. Ivanovic, Pedro & Oscar help Chelsea return to winning ways in front of Guus Hiddink |
Within the first 13 minutes, Chelsea scored twice and that is something which has been very rarely witnessed this season. The first one was through a corner wherein Ivanovic powerfully headed past Pantilimon. The second was through a firm strike by Pedro with Chelsea showing some good movement in that final third. It was not only the goals but also the way Chelsea played that surprised most of them. There were certain sections of the crowd certainly questioning the absence of this attitude under Mourinho.
The first half certainly delineated why this squad were champions last season. It only got better in the second half when Pantilimon tripped Willian in the box with Oscar calmly converting the resulting penalty. However, the uncertainty that has plagued the Chelsea defence all season came to light again in the first goal. Borini tapped home from close range after some horrendous marking by the Chelsea defenders for the free kick. It turned out to be a mere consolation though, with Chelsea being able to see out the game quite comfortably.
However, this game certainly had more importance than just the three points. The fans are certainly unhappy with the attitude of the players who they believe were clearly responsible for the removal of their favorite manager. They certainly showed it in their behavior towards Fabregas and Costa while they were being substituted. This is just a start and it will certainly be a tall order for Hiddink to lift the spirit of this squad and win the support of the fans,
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