CHELSEA ARE A TEAM WHO REJECT easy excuses. A goal behind after 12 minutes, insipid and tentative, they ground through the gears, pummelled Sunderland and grasped the lead. A man down after 70 minutes, they shut up shop, clawed at every clearance and held on. “That’s why we’re champions,” their supporters crowed. Where Arsenal are capable of humiliating opponents, Liverpool eke out victories and Manchester United show fleeting signs of their former brilliance, Chelsea combine all of their rivals’ strengths with none of their frailties. Sixteen points clear at the head of the table, they are brutal in their efficiency, even when caught cold, as they were yesterday.
“Our team has qualities that money can’t buy,” José Mourinho said. “How many other big teams in the world can fight like Chelsea does, have the same team spirit, organisation or mentality?” For a few blissful moments in the second half, Chelsea played what their manager called “unbelievable football”, but their tenth league victory in succession — a club record in the Premiership — was based on tenacity. They showed it when Julio Arca pumped a long pass forward, John Terry made an ineffectual clearance and Liam Lawrence struck an early shot. They showed it again when Arjen Robben was sent off for a second booking.
Never knowingly predictable, Mourinho was unconcerned about Robben’s departure, for leaping into the crowd after striking a deflected winner. “I don’t like seeing a yellow card when a player celebrates with the fans,” he said, “but if that’s the rule we have to adapt to it.”
Having burnt themselves out, Sunderland were powerless to seize the advantage. Mick McCarthy’s side had begun ferociously and their attitude did not dim. “I don’t know any other group of players who could suffer as many disappointments as they have and still keep fighting,” McCarthy said. Their relegation is surely guaranteed, but this was an optimistic afternoon and a spirited performance. Even so, the chairman refused to offer McCarthy security. “At a club that’s struggling as badly as this one is, there’s going to be speculation as to the manager and the way forward and I don’t want to add to that situation,” Bob Murray said.
What Sunderland lacked in quality, they made up in sweat and perseverance. Those qualities are not unknown to Chelsea, but they did not appreciate being confronted by them. They had equalised in the 28th minute, when William Gallas spread a deep cross to the far post, Joe Cole narrowly kept the ball in play and Hernán Crespo nodded in his eighth league goal of the season, but it was not until later that the giant roused itself.
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Kelvin Davis had repelled a driven shot and point-blank header from Crespo and dived at full stretch to tip away a fierce effort from Frank Lampard, but the goalkeeper could not stem the tide indefinitely. Robben ensured the win, lurking at the edge of the penalty area; the winger’s decision to shoot might have been selfish had Dean Whitehead not stooped to meet it. The ball looped above Davis, Robben ran towards the Chelsea fans, leapt over the advertising hoardings and was booked for the exuberance of his celebration. Cautioned for an earlier foul on Lawrence, he was promptly sent off.
Even with reduced personnel, Chelsea barely wavered. McCarthy was incandescent that two penalty appeals found no favour — the first, when Ricardo Carvalho tugged the shirt of Andy Gray, was a worthy claim — but Mourinho’s side held firm. “We are strong, we play when we have to play and fight when we have to fight,” Mourinho said. “We’re in a very good situation.” Nobody debated it.
CALM DOWN
A PLAYER MUST BE cautioned when he climbs on to a perimeter fence to celebrate a goal. It is considered that fans may be endangered in a rush forward. Arjen Robben was perhaps unlucky that the Stadium of Light has an advertising board several yards from the fans, one that thus needs to be hurdled to reach the crowd.