Independent:
Jermain Defoe scores crucial winner in comeback win
Sunderland 3 Chelsea 2
John Terry would have pictured his Chelsea farewell somewhat differently. Sent off deep into stoppage time, he was sat in the away dressing room reflecting on 18 years at a club with which he has become synonymous as the final whistle blew and the Stadium of Light erupted with a mixture of joy and relief at the prospect of a fourth consecutive great escape.
Two yellow cards in the space of five minutes, the second for upending Sunderland goalscorer Wahbi Khazri at the end of an extraordinary contest, proved to be the 35-year-old's final act for a team he has served with such distinction for almost two decades. A two-game suspension will preclude him from Chelsea's final games of the season this week, and with his contract set to not be renewed, the England defender will seek a new challenge as he considers lucrative offers from China and North America.
Having also unwittingly diverted Sunderland's second equaliser into his own net as the hosts produced a stirring comeback to seal a victory which went a long way to securing a 10th consecutive season of top flight football on Wearside, it's safe to assume Terry will not remember his 489th and in all probability final Premier League appearance with any great fondness.
"The referee was too close to the incident and for me it was an impulsive reaction to show a yellow," Guus Hiddink, the Chelsea manager said in a bizarre critique of Terry's second yellow card, which rules him out of the midweek trip to Liverpool and the final game at home to Champions Leicester City. The Dutchman refused to confirm Terry has played his last game for the club, but he added: "If he doesn't play for Chelsea again, it is sad.
"Of course, we don't know what his future but for this season it's sad it. It would have been lovely to have the last game at home against the Champions and having a very nice 'party game', so it's sad he's not participating in that. I've not had chance to speak to him yet, everyone was just sitting and staring in the dressing room afterwards."
Unlike Terry, Sunderland will recall this dramatic 90 minutes with rather more relish if it provides the springboard for their latest Houdini act. Newcastle's unfathomable failure to beat Aston Villa means the Wearside club will seal their escape if they beat Everton at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday. Anything less, and it will go to the final day, when they travel to Watford, Newcastle host Tottenham, and Norwich, who remain in with a chance of survival, face Roberto Martinez's side.
"Our destiny is in our own hands and we'd be gutted if we didn't manage it now," Sam Allardyce, the Sunderland manager, said. "We're in a good position and must take advantage of that. We've still got to be very professional on Wednesday to make sure when we finish that game we're safe and hopefully we'll not jangle our nerves any longer than we need to."
Chelsea had perhaps expected a routine victory when Diego Costa broke the deadlock midway through the first-half by beating Vito Mannone from a narrow angle. Sunderland's equaliser, their first goal at home since March 1 five minutes from the break was certainly worth the wait. Both John Obi Mikel and Gary Cahill failed to nullify the danger with attempted headed clearances from Patrick van Aanholt's free-kick into the box, and from the second of those, Khazri sent a stunning 20-yard volley past Courtois and into the top corner for a truly memorable leveller.
Sunderland were in the ascendency, and that will have made the way they tamely surrendered parity against the run of play all the more galling as first-half injury-time approached. A hopeful upfield punt from Cesc Fabregas caused far more problematical to clear than it should have, and when the ball fell to Nemanja Matic in the box, the midfielder calmly fired the ball under Mannone to restore Chelsea's lead.
Mannone produced three vital saves after the break to provide a platform from which Sunderland pushed on for a priceless victory, twice blocking from Costa and tipping a Willian free-kick over. Fabio Borini sparked the comeback, claiming a second leveller as he drove the ball home from the edge of the area with the aid of a significant deflection off Terry, who was stood in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Before Chelsea had time to recover, they were behind for the first time on an afternoon of high drama, the visitors failing to deal with De Andre Yedlin's 70th minute cross to allow Jermain Defoe the luxury of a first touch a dozen yards from goal. With the second, the forward found the bottom corner for his 15th goal of the season.
Terry departed shortly before the end, and Chelsea were a beaten outfit. "We've not come from behind to win all season," Allardyce added (they have done so, once). "That was the magnitude of the task."
Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, Kone (O'Shea 55), Kaboul, Van Aanholt, Kirchoff (Watmore 64), Borini, Cattermole (Larsson 71), M'Vila, Khazri, Defoe
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic (Rahman 68), Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Mikel (Traore 83), Matic, Willian (Oscar 80), Fabregas, Hazard, Costa
Referee: Mike Jones
Man of the match: Vito Mannone (Sunderland)
Match rating: 8/10
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Guardian:
Jermain Defoe downs Chelsea to give Sunderland hope of escaping drop
Sunderland 3 - 2 Chelsea
Roger Chapman at the Stadium of Light
Jermain Defoe’s instinctive and incisive finish settled an enthralling contest with last season’s Premier League champions and lifted Sunderland to within a victory of guaranteed Premier League survival.
Their first opportunity to do so will come on Wednesday, when an Everton side clearly focused on the distractions of summer travel to the Stadium of Light, but given the latest failings of Newcastle and Norwich it is entirely possible that Sam Allardyce already has enough points in the bag to be sure of continuing his proud record of never having been relegated as a manager from the top division.
“I’d be gutted if we didn’t stay up from this position,” said the Sunderland manager. “But still we’ve got to be professional and driven on Wednesday night and make sure when we finish that game, we’re safe.
“Our destiny is in our own hands and hopefully we won’t jangle the nerves any longer than we need to. So many people – staff, fans – were biting their nails in the last few minutes.
“But we needed that today and it was a miraculous way to get a victory, given the circumstances, the pressure we’re under and the team we’re playing.”
That team they were playing are a pale shadow of the Chelsea side that strode to last season’s title and their miserable season was neatly summed up deep in injury-time when John Terry, possibly in the final month of his Stamford Bridge career, fouled Wahbi Khazri and was sent off for a second bookable offence which will carry a two-match suspension – as it is his second dismissal of the season – and end his campaign.
“We don’t know what his future is but, for this season, it’s sad,” said the outgoing interim manager Guus Hiddink. “We would have liked to have him in our last game at home to Leicester, the champions, and having a nice ‘party’ game.”
Terry had already played an underwhelming part in Chelsea’s second-half surrender, although it owed as much to the forward Diego Costa, who twice found himself alone in the Sunderland area, with his team leading 2-1, and twice struck the ball too close to the impressive home keeper Vito Mannone.
In the 67th minute, Sunderland, picking up a head of steam from their intense following, equalised as Fabio Borini was found by Patrick van Aanholt’s neat pass and scored from just inside the area with a shot that Thibaut Courtois, unsighted by Terry, could only help into his own net.
Then three minutes later, Defoe, who had previously scored only three home goals this season, was on hand 12 yards out to meet a DeAndre Yedlin cross, touched into his path by Mikel John Obi, before again scoring via a touch off the Chelsea keeper, his 15th goal of an extraordinary season.
“For a team in the bottom three for most of the season, that’s a miraculous return for Jermain,” said Allardyce. “He hasn’t been starved of service but, for me, the pleasing factor is he scores goals continuously while playing up front on his own. People have suggested all his career that he couldn’t do that and he’s proved everybody wrong.‚“
There had been no sign of the second-half fightback to come as Sunderland capitulated late in first half injury-time, gifting Chelsea a second goal within minutes of scoring a superb equaliser through Khazri.
Deep into stoppage time, Allardyce’s defence showed the same nervousness about which he had complained in last weekend’s draw at Stoke, failing to deal either with Cesc Fàbregas’s upfield punt or the header from César Azpilicueta that played in Nemanja Matic who finished neatly past the advancing Mannone.
Khazri’s equaliser had comfortably been the best goal of an entertaining contest as he latched on to a headed clearance from Yann M’Vila’s deep free-kick and beat Courtois with a stunning right-foot volley from the edge of the Chelsea area, a goal which had been sorely needed, cancelling out Costa’s 16th goal of the season after 14 minutes.
It again featured a clinical finish and, again, some uncertain home defending as Eden Hazard started a move which was continued by Gary Cahill, via a deflection off Yedlin, for Costa to complete the move expertly from a tight angle.
“Today, for me as a manager, this game had everything,” said Allardyce. “The thrills and spills, the worries and the tensions you get at this level of football. But we’re in a good position now. Newcastle drawing, Norwich losing, has put us in a very good position.”
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Telegraph:
Sunderland 3 Chelsea 2: Jermain Defoe completes remarkable comeback to boost survival hopes
Jason Meller, stadium of light
This was not how John Terry had envisaged his Chelsea farewell.
Sat in the away dressing room as the final whistle blew and the Stadium of Light erupted with a mixture of joy and relief at the prospect of a fourth consecutive great escape. A clutch of yellow cards in the space of five minutes, the second for upending Sunderland goalscorer Wahbi Khazri at the end of an extraordinary contest proved to be the 35-year-old's final act for a team he has served with such distinction for almost two decades.
A two-match ban will preclude him from the final games of the season this week, and with his contract set to not be renewed, the England defender will seek a new challenge as he considers lucrative offers from North America and China. Guus Hiddink felt referee Mike Jones too hasty in brandishing a second yellow deep into stoppage time, compounding a miserable afternoon for the Chelsea skipper, who had inadvertently diverted Sunderland's second equaliser into his own net as the hosts staged a stirring comeback after the break.
Unlike Terry, Sunderland will recall this dramatic 90 minutes with rather more relish if it provides the springboard for their latest Houdini act. Norwich losing at home to Manchester United, and Newcastle's inability to beat Aston Villa means the Wearside club will seal their escape if they beat Everton at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday. Anything less, and it will go to the final day, when they travel to Watford, Newcastle host Tottenham, and Norwich, who remain in with a chance of survival, face Roberto Martinez's side.
"Our destiny is in our own hands and we'd be gutted if we didn't manage it now," Sam Allardyce, the Sunderland manager, said. "We're in a good position and must take advantage of that. We've still got to be very professional on Wednesday to make sure when we finish that game we're safe and hopefully we'll not jangle our nerves any longer than we need to."
Chelsea had perhaps expected a routine victory when Diego Costa broke the deadlock midway through the first-half by beating Mannone from a narrow angle. Sunderland's equaliser, their first goal at home since March 1 five minutes from the break was certainly worth the wait. Both John Obi Mikel and Gary Cahill failed to clear the danger with headers from Patrick van Aanholt's free-kick into the box, and from the second of those, Khazri sent a stunning 20-yard volley past Courtois and into the top corner for a memorable leveller.
Sunderland were in the ascendency, and that made the way they tamely surrendered parity against the run of play all the more galling as first-half injury-time approached. An upfield punt from Cesc Fabregas caused far more problematical to clear than it should have, and when the ball fell to Nemanja Matic in the box, the midfielder calmly fired the ball under Vito Mannone to restore Chelsea's lead.
Mannone produced three vital saves after the break to provide a platform from which Sunderland pushed on for a priceless victory, twice blocking from Costa and tipping a Willian free-kick over. Fabio Borini sparked the comeback, claiming a second leveller as he drove the ball home from the edge of the area with the aid of a significant deflection off Terry, who was stood in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Before Chelsea had time to recover, they were behind for the first time on an afternoon of high drama, the visitors failing to deal with De Andre Yedlin's 70th minute cross to allow Jermain Defoe the luxury of a first touch a dozen yards from goal. With the second, the forward found the bottom corner for his 15th goal of the season.
After Terry's departure, Sunderland held out comfortably enough for a victory, the enormity of which they hope to underline on Wednesday. "We'd come from behind only once all season to win," Allardyce added. "That was the magnitude of the task we faced and it was a massive result."
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Mail:
Sunderland 3-2 Chelsea: Jermain Defoe fires Black Cats out of the relegation zone as Sam Allardyce's side edge five-goal thriller
By CRAIG HOPE FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
As an unseasonal and bitter fog descended on the Stadium of Light, suddenly everything was warm and clear for Sunderland.
One more win, from a home game against Everton on Wednesday or their final-day trip to Watford, and they will be playing Premier League football come August.
The latest estimates have membership of the top flight worth an extra £100million from next season — and that is just about the value Sam Allardyce would place on Jermain Defoe's head right now.
And so he should. Defoe was again the match-winner here as Sunderland came from behind to win at home for the first time this season.
Defoe's contribution — 15 league goals — has made the difference to the tune of 14 points. Without him Sunderland would have been relegated in March.
As his former England team-mate John Terry was sent off in the dying seconds in what is almost certainly his final game on these shores, Defoe was celebrating the probability of another campaign in the Premier League. On this evidence, the 33-year-old could carry on for another five seasons, as is his wish.
Allardyce said: 'That's 15 in the league and 18 in all competitions from Jermain in a team that's been in the bottom three most of the season. That is a miraculous return.
'It's pleasing that he scores continuously while he plays up front on his own. He plays that role so well.'
The roar that met his 70th-minute winner was almost strong enough to lift the mist that had swept in at half-time, for it had looked gloomy for the hosts at the break.
Wahbi Khazri had cancelled out Diego Costa's opener with a stunning volley but Nemanja Matic stole in during first-half stoppage time to restore Chelsea's lead.
Later came a frenzied three minutes to turn the game — and the fight for survival — on its head.
It started with former Chelsea forward Fabio Borini equalising before Defoe produced a typically predatory finish from inside the area. Cue bedlam on the terraces.
'The fans roared us to a victory and that affected the players to run a bit harder and give more,' said Allardyce. 'It's a miraculous way to get a victory. Our destiny is in our own hands and we have turned it around with a big victory. I would be gutted if we blew it from here.
'We have to be very professional and very driven, but hopefully we will not jangle our nerves any longer than we have to and will finish the job before the final game.'
Sunderland's task could have been made easier had Gary Cahill been dismissed inside the first 60 seconds. Defoe scampered clear with Cahill in pursuit and it looked as if the Chelsea defender had recovered to nick the ball.
Referee Mike Jones, however, was not happy with the earlier tug on Defoe's shirt and blew for a foul before reaching for his top pocket and producing yellow; the covering Terry saved him from a red.
Buoyed by that escape, Chelsea gained control and Costa pounced on a loose ball after Cahill had forged a way into the penalty area and produced a delightful finish over Vito Mannone from a narrow angle. It was Costa's 12th league goal of the season, a dreadfully poor return when considering he had a dozen by December last season.
A Sunderland goal looked unlikely and it took a stupendous 25-yard volley from Khazri to bring them level four minutes before the break when Chelsea had failed to clear after a game of head tennis inside the area.
The stadium was still reverberating from that late contender for goal of the season when the visitors broke to restore their lead as Cesar Azpilicueta slipped in Matic and he did the rest with a cool finish through the legs of Mannone.
Chelsea could have been out of sight soon after half-time but paid the price for Costa twice failing to convert good chances. Sunderland levelled when Patrick van Aanholt broke down the left and squared for Borini, lurking on the edge of the area, whose low blast was deflected in off Terry.
Then DeAndre Yedlin escaped on the right flank and, when his cross was deflected to the feet of Defoe by Baba Rahman, the striker took one touch to control and one to dispatch into the bottom corner.
Terry was then sent off following a clash with Khazri and left the field wearing a sorrowful expression.
Defoe, meanwhile, was crying. Only those were tears of joy.
Sunderland (4-1-4-1): Mannone 7; Yedlin 7, Kone 6 (O'Shea 55mins, 6), Kaboul 6, Van Aanholt 7; Kirchhoff 6 (Watmore 64, 6); Borini 7.5, Cattermole 6.5 (Larsson 71, 6), M'Vila 6, Khazri 7; Defoe 7.5
Subs not used: Pickford, Rodwell, N'Doye, Lens
Scorers: Khazri 41, Borini 67, Defoe 70
Bookings: Kaboul, Cattermole, Defoe, Larsson
Manager: Sam Allardyce 7
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 6; Ivanovic 6 (Baba 67, 5), Cahill 6, Terry 5, Azpilicueta 6; Mikel 5.5 (Traore 83), Matic 6.5; Willian 5.5 (Oscar 80) Fabregas 7, Hazard 7; Costa 5
Subs not used: Begovic, Pato, Kenedy, Loftus-Cheek
Scorers: Costa 14, Matic 45
Bookings: Cahill, Terry
Sent off: Terry
Manager: Guus Hiddink 6
MOM: Jermain Defoe
Att: 47,050
Ref: Mike Jones 6
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Mirror:
Sunderland 3-2 Chelsea: Defoe strikes winner to take Black Cats to brink of safety - 5 things we learned
BY SIMON BIRD
The England striker completed a stunning second-half fight back with Sunderland now needing a win over Everton to ensure survival
Jermain Defoe fired Sunderland to the brink of safety amid jubilant scenes at the Stadium of Light.
The striker completed a stunning second half fight back by Sam Allardyce's side and a win against Everton in midweek could complete their survival mission.
Sunderland were 2-1 down at half time after Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic scored wither side of Wahbi Khazri's volley. Chelsea has chances to stretch their lead, but Sunderland came roaring back.
A tactical switch to 4-4-2 from Allardyce immediately paid off as Fabio Borini was pushed forward and he blasted home from 20 yards.
Moments later they were ahead when Patrick Van Aanholt's cross found Defoe , who took a touch and volleyed home.
The roar produced by both goals shook the stadium, as they celebrated their first win against Chelsea in 16 years.
1. What are Sunderland's chances of survival?
They are on the brink of safety after this win and Newcastle's failure to beat Aston Villa.
A win against Everton in midweek would mean they stay in the league and condemn North East rivals Newcastle to the Championship.
Even if they don't win they have another chance next weekend against Watford.
There have been some shaky moments, but this was Sunderland's biggest win of the season, and almost completes the job.
Bravo to Allardyce and his players for shouldering the pressure and coming up with the points.
2. Defoe knows how to grab a big goal
Where would Sunderland be without the former England international. Yet another stunning goal to add to his 15 in the league this season – only four of which have been at home.
He has repeatedly grabbed crucial strikes for Sunderland, and this was his first on Wearside since January 2.
Questions were asked when Sunderland signed him from Toronto on big money, but he has been the difference between relegation and what looks now to be Sunderland reclaiming their place in the top flight.
Defoe is a class act.
3. Stunners from Khazri and Borini
The Tunisian international thumped home a brilliant 22 yard strike to get Sunderland back in the game.
He is one of the January signings that have kept his side in with a fighting chance of staying up. Khazri buzzes around and can be a threat, but has lacked an end product, until this game.
His only other goal was in mid-February against Gary Cahill made a weak defensive header as the ball pin-balled in and out of the box, and Khazri reacted quickest with a sweet volley past Thibault Courtois.
The roar from the Stadium of Light crowd was primal. Fabio Borini's equaliser to 2-2 wasn't bad either!
And it sparked another stadium shaking cheer.
4. Costa more effective as a footballer
The Spaniard netted the opener after 15 minutes with a lethal, cool finish.
The snarling madman from the previous Chelsea game against Spurs was replaced by a footballer making clever runs and linking play.
The goal, curled in from six yards and a tight angle, was his 16 in all competitions this season.
He had two other good second half chances that would have given the score a polished look.
He looks an intimidating beast without the antics, and should concentrate on his skills and movement rather than starting fires.
5. Is Matic leaving Chelsea?
The powerhouse midfielder grabbed his side's second goal with a good finish through on keeper Vito Mannone.
But the lack of celebration told a story. He turned away from goal and walked back to the half way line.
His teammates mobbed him, but he showed absolutely no emotion.
He is one of the players who would want Champions' League football next season and has been linked with Juventus.
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Express:
Sunderland 3 - Chelsea 2: Deadly Defoe seals stunning comeback to boost survival hopes
JERMAIN DEFOE left Sunderland one win away from Premier League safety as Sam Allardyce’s side completed an astonishing comeback.
By CLIVE HETHERINGTON
Twice they trailed before Fabio Borini and Defoe – with his 18th goal of the season – struck in the space of three second-half minutes.
A Wahbi Khazri wonder goal – the Tunisia midfielder’s second since his £9million January arrival from Bordeaux – hauled Sunderland level four minutes before the break after Diego Costa’s 14th-minute opener.
Nemanja Matic restored Chelsea’s lead just before half-time and it looked too tall an order for Sunderland until Borini and Defoe netted on 67 and 70 minutes.
And Chelsea skipper John Terry, already booked for a foul on Defoe, was sent off in stoppage time for a high challenge on Khazri.
With rivals Newcastle held to a 0-0 draw at relegated Aston Villa and Norwich losing 1-0 at home to Manchester United, victory over Everton at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday is enough for Sunderland.
Chelsea had a let-off in the first minute when Gary Cahill was booked for holding back Defoe, with Sunderland claiming the centre-back was the last man.
But Chelsea, with Eden Hazard recalled to the starting line-up after his point-saving display in the dramatic 2-2 home draw with Tottenham, soon looked dangerous.
When the breakthrough came, it carried a slice of good fortune as Cahill’s ball cannoned off DeAndre Yedlin and broke kindly for Costa.
The finish, though, was clinical as the Spain striker steered the ball inside the far corner from an acute angle for his 16th goal this season.
Yedlin came close to equalising on 26 minutes when he met Defoe’s left-wing cross with a close-range header, but Thibaut Courtois – back in the Blues’ goal after a two-match ban – blocked.
Costa was only inches from a second goal moments later as he stretched but couldn’t reach Branislav Ivanovic’s brilliant delivery.
Sunderland were back in it with a bolt from the blue when Chelsea failed to clear Patrick van Aanholt’s free-kick and Cahill’s header fell to Khazri, who thundered home a deflected right-foot volley.
But Matic seized on Cesar Azpilicueta’s header to slip the ball past keeper Vito Mannone.
Sunderland turned the game on its head when Borini’s drive from Van Aanholt’s drag-back proved too hot for Courtois to handle.
And Defoe finished after Chelsea failed to deal with Yedlin’s centre and the striker took a touch before shooting home on the turn.
SUNDERLAND: Mannone 7; Yedlin 6, Kone 5 (O’Shea (55th) 5), Kaboul 5, Van Aanholt 6; Kirchhoff 5 (Watmore (64th) 5); Borini 7, M’Vila 6, Cattermole 5 (Larsson (71st) 5), Khazri 7; Defoe 8.
MAN CITY: Courtois 6; Ivanovic 6 (Rahman (68th) 5), Cahill 6, Terry 5, Azpilicueta 6; Mikel 5 (Traore 83rd), Matic 7; Willian 6 (Oscar 80th) Fabregas 6, Hazard 7; Costa 7.
May 11: SUNDERLAND v Everton May 11: Liverpool v CHELSEA May 15: Watford v SUNDERLAND May 15: CHELSEA v Leicester
Referee: M Jones
Attendance: 47,050
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Star:
Sunderland 3 Chelsea 2:
Defoe completes Black Cats comeback to boost survival hopes
JERMAIN DEFOE left Sunderland one win from Premier League safety as Sam Allardyce’s side completed an astonishing comeback.
By Clive Hetherington
Twice they trailed before Fabio Borini and Defoe – with his 18th goal of the season – struck in the space of three second-half minutes.
A Wahbi Khazri wonder goal – the Tunisia midfielder’s second since his £9million January arrival from Bordeaux – hauled Sunderland level four minutes before the break after Diego Costa’s 14th-minute opener.
Nemanja Matic restored Chelsea’s lead just before half-time and it looked too big a task for Sunderland – until Borini and Defoe netted after 67 and 70 minutes.
It was Sunderland’s first home league win over Chelsea for nearly 16 years and boss Allardyce said he would be “gutted” if his side blew it now.
“It’s a miraculous way to get a victory considering the circumstances and pressure we’re under,” he said.
“To come back against a side the size of Chelsea when we are fighting relegation showed great character.
“Our destiny is in our own hands and we must take full advantage.
“The finishing was fantastic. Jermain has got 18 goals in a team that has been in the bottom three most of the season. It’s a miraculous return.
“People suggested he couldn’t play up front on his own but he’s proved everyone wrong.
“The contribution for the win, though, falls to Vito Mannone as much as it does Borini or Defoe – he made a couple of crucial saves from Costa.”
Chelsea skipper John Terry – already booked for a foul on Defoe – was sent off in stoppage time for a high tackle on Khazri.
And with the defender yet to sign a new deal, that could well be his last piece of the action for the Blues as he now faces a two-match ban, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
With rivals Newcastle held to a 0-0 draw at relegated Aston Villa and Norwich losing 1-0 at home to Manchester United, victory over Everton at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday is enough for Sunderland.
Chelsea had an early let-off when Gary Cahill was booked for holding back Defoe, with the Black Cats claiming the centre-back was the last man.
But Guus Hiddink’s side – with Eden Hazard back in the starting line-up after his point-saving display in the 2-2 home draw with Tottenham last week – soon looked dangerous.
When the breakthrough came, it had a slice of good fortune about it as Cahill’s ball cannoned off DeAndre Yedlin and broke kindly for Costa.
The finish, though, was clinical as the Spain striker steered the ball into the far corner from an acute angle for his 16th goal this season.
Yedlin came close to equalising after 26 minutes when he met Defoe’s left-wing cross with a close-range header but Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois – back in goal after a two-match ban – managed to block.
Costa was only inches from a second goal moments later as he stretched but he could not reach Branislav Ivanovic’s brilliant delivery.
Sunderland got back into it with a bolt from the blue when Chelsea failed to clear Patrick van Aanholt’s free-kick and Cahill’s header fell to Khazri, who thundered home a right-footed deflected volley.
But Blues midfielder Matic seized on Cesar Azpilicueta’s header to slip the ball past keeper Vito Mannone.
Sunderland turned the game on its head when Borini’s drive from Van Aanholt’s drag-back proved too hot for Courtois to handle.
And Defoe finished after Chelsea failed to deal with Yedlin’s centre, taking a touch before firing in on the turn to send the Black Cats fans into ecstasy
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