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SUNDERLAND KEEP DREAM ALIVE WITH SHOCKING VICTORY OVER CHELSEA

Sunderland stunned Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with a stoppage-time winner from Chemsdine Talbi. Wilson Isidor had earlier cancelled out Alejandro Garnacho's opener, handing Enzo Maresca's Blues a costly defeat.

Sunderland Keep Dream Alive With Shocking Victory Over Chelsea
Talbi´s dramatic winner in the third minute of added time at Stamford Bridge - John Walton/PA Wire

Sunderland shocked Chelsea with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, thanks to a spectacular goal from Chemsdine Talbi in stoppage time.

After Brian Brobbey held the ball up alone against two defenders, the 20-year-old Morocco international went unchallenged into the area to sweep home, causing frenzied celebrations among away fans in the Shed End.

Although the game was intense, Chelsea will need to learn how to win this kind of close match if they hope to improve on their fourth-place result from the previous campaign.

For extended stretches, Sunderland was on par with them, and since Enzo Maresca took over, few clubs have visited and appeared so at ease with the ball, so prepared and able to attack Chelsea.

Before the game had a chance to settle, Alejandro Garnacho put them behind. The £40 million summer acquisition completed a swift breakaway down the left to score his first goal for the Blues.

Maresca had stated that he was not prepared to follow the long throw-in fad, but Sunderland demonstrated that they understood the latest attacking fad in the top flight by equalising through top scorer Wilson Isidor, who finished after Nordi Mukiele's launch had caused havoc inside the box.

Although their opponents were smart enough to avoid openings, Chelsea's first-half strategy was straightforward, if not always successful: push the ball wide to pull Sunderland over, then reverse the play to the far post.

Chelsea's goal came from the lone departure from that blueprint. After stealing the ball in midfield, Pedro Neto delivered it to Garnacho high on the left, who may have run too easily around Mukiele before finishing through Robin Roefs' legs.

On the other side, Neto was fighting to avoid the attentions of the unstoppable Reinildo Mandava, who essentially neutralised Chelsea's right side, while Garnacho was enjoying his best forty-five minutes in blue yet.

Marc Cucurella, who three times rushed forward from left-back and tricked Sunderland just by being inside their box, looked to be their strongest threat.

Regis Le Bris had his own weapon in the form of Mukiele, but Maresca stated this week that he would send for former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap if he ever learned to use the long throw-in. Bertrand Traore's shot struck Joao Pedro and bounced back to Isidor, who scored the equaliser. It was his powerful launch that got him there.

Garnacho's athletic effort as he slipped in at the far post resulted in a save from Roefs, who also turned Trevoh Chalobah's long-range rocket over. Granit Xhaka then set Isidor away down the left for a blast that pounded into Robert Sanchez's side netting.

Chelsea's next opportunity was created by a more experienced player, as Reece James beat Enzo Le Fee and crossed for Cucurella, who had it taken off his head by a fantastic intervention from Roefs. Estevao Willian was thrown in to try and give Chelsea some bite on the right side.

A fair outcome would have been a draw. It was a memorable one because of Talbi's late finish.

DAVID MOYES' INJURY NIGHTMARE: DEWSBURY-HALL AND JACK GREALISH SCARE AFTER CHELSEA DEFEAT

Everton's loss to Chelsea came at a steep price: Moyes confirmed Jack Grealish's hamstring injury after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's early exit.

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Dewsbury-Hall Injury Disrupts Moyes' Game Plan

Moyes Talks Grealish Injury Scare After Everton's Loss to Chelsea

Everton manager David Moyes discussed Jack Grealish's injury scare following Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's knock during their match against Chelsea. The Toffees lost 2-0 to the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto scoring for the home side. This defeat marked Everton's sixth in the Premier League this season, dropping them to eighth place.

Palmer Shines in Chelsea's Victory

Chelsea's Palmer made a strong return from injury, scoring his first goal for the Blues since September in their 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday. Palmer opened the scoring, and Gusto then increased Chelsea's lead. Everton struggled to trouble Enzo Maresca's team, who secured their first win in five matches across all competitions.

Palmer told BBC Sport post-match, The game is never over. We had chances we missed. Overall, I'm happy with the clean sheet and our play. We know we're better with Cole. He was out for a while, but now he's back and will help us.

Maresca praised James and Gusto, who scored and assisted against Everton, saying, They're good players who can play anywhere—full-back, midfield. Gusto took his chance, assisting Cole, so I'm happy for him. Not winning every game doesn't mean we can't compete for titles. Not conceding is a team effort, from Joao Pedro's press to Alejandro Garnacho's.

Moyes Comments on Injury Concerns

Dewsbury-Hall was forced off early in the 16th minute due to injury, replaced by Carlos Alcaraz. Grealish also reported a hamstring issue after the game.

Moyes said about Grealish, Jack felt his hamstring, so we need to be careful.

Regarding Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes added, It threw us off for about 10-15 minutes. I thought we started well. We then conceded. It's tough to be too disappointed with much of what we did. But I'm disappointed we didn't win, and we have a couple of injuries. I'm not disappointed in the players' effort.

Maresca Assesses Chelsea's Performance

When discussing his team's performance against Everton, Maresca told reporters, I commend the players for performing well despite many issues after a difficult week. The last 48 hours were the worst since I joined the club because we lacked support. I'm happy for Malo, whose effort, along with the team's, shows their commitment to the club. The worst 48 hours since joining because people didn’t support the team or me. When asked if the issue was internal or related to supporters, he explained, "In general." I love the fans, and I am very happy with the fans.

Chelsea's Busy December

Chelsea has four games remaining in December, starting with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Cardiff City on Tuesday. They will end 2025 with Premier League matches against Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth.

VAR ERROR: FORMER PGMOL CHIEF SAYS HWANG HEE-CHAN TACKLE ON LEWIS-SKELLY WAS RED CARD

Former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett claims Hwang Hee-Chan should have been sent off for a studs-up challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly in Wolves' loss to Arsenal.

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Wolves Star Hwang Should Have Seen a Red Card vs Arsenal

According to Keith Hackett, a former PGMOL chief and FIFA referee, Rob Edwards’ team was very lucky not to have a player sent off in their 2-1 loss to Arsenal this past Saturday.

Hackett told Football Insider that Hwang Hee-Chan should have been shown a red card after his challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly on December 13.

Wolves are likely to be relegated from the Premier League this season. Their situation got worse when Yerson Mosquera scored an own goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Edwards’ team managed to keep Viktor Gyokeres quiet, but two own goals meant they left North London empty-handed. It could easily have been a bigger defeat, too.

Hwang Hee-Chan stays on the pitch against Arsenal

In the 60th minute, Hwang went in for a challenge on Lewis-Skelly with his studs showing. VAR looked at it to see if it was a red card offense, but the ref wasn't asked to review it on the monitor.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former ref said, When you watch that challenge, there’s no question this player used excessive force [which warrants a red card].

“He goes into the challenge fast with a straight leg, studs showing, and even though it's low, it still puts his opponent in danger. The player's feet were off the ground, so he couldn't stop or change direction.

“I'm sure the excuse will be that ‘we stuck with yellow because the challenge was low down,’ but I think there was some intent in the challenge. It should have been red.”

Wolves get closer to Premier League relegation.

Burnley, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds United are also struggling to stay up, alongside Wolves. Their chances of staying in the league seem to be fading fast.

There was a glimmer of hope when Tolo Arokodare scored his first Premier League goal in the 90th minute. But that hope was destroyed four minutes later when Mosquera headed the ball into his own net.

Edwards can take some positives from the game. They matched the league leaders for most of the match. Still, they are at the bottom of the table with only two points from 16 games.

They are running out of time to get some points.

Premier League Standings

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