SOCCER/Sunderland 1 Chelsea 2: Arjen Robben's joy was interrupted by a red card. He had just scored a lucky winner that deflected off Dean Whitehead in the 69th minute and was revelling with the Chelsea support behind the goal when Chris Foy showed him a second yellow card of the match.
The referee's decision had a puritanical tone. Here was an occasion where Chelsea, pushed to their limits by Sunderland, deserved to be chastised for feeling at all pleased with themselves.
Jose Mourinho was in a comparatively subdued mood afterwards. "He did well," the Chelsea manager said sincerely of Foy. His own preference would be to see another minute added to stoppage-time for elongated, off-field celebrations such as Robben's. Despite that, Mourinho believed that the rules had been properly applied and, presumably, was not aware that officials are explicitly instructed to show common sense in such situations.
As Robben made for the tunnel, Mourinho embraced the player "to show I am with him". Acerbity, for all that, is never far away and Mourinho prophesied that the attacker will never repeat the offence. The manager also remarked blithely that Robben's suspension will let Damien Duff or Shaun Wright-Phillips start a game.
Robben's best defence of his conduct would be that he acted with the spontaneity of a relieved man. Sunderland may have needed several second-half saves from the much-maligned Kelvin Davis to keep them on equal terms, but Robben's goal came just as the visitors were beginning to grow frustrated.
While Sunderland may sometimes have wished there were no cameras to record their haplessness, this was an afternoon where the videotapes will prove that they are not as bad as the derisory league total of six points suggests.
Chelsea were no longer above the fray, even if it has to be recognised that the onslaught they mounted immediately after the interval showed determination. "Our team has some qualities that money can't buy," said Mourinho to widespread amazement. "How many clubs in the world, with top players, can fight as Chelsea do?"
The pitch was in poor condition and the Chelsea players, warming up before the game, seemed to be rehearsing volleyed passes, as if extra-terrestrial football might be a possibility. In the fixture itself, though, they were most definitely brought down to earth.
Asier Del Horno, who has already been warned that he will have to improve fast if he is to survive, was utterly unreliable at left-back. His deficiencies had their inspiring effect on Liam Lawrence. When the accurate Julio Arca sent over one of his testing crosses in the 11th minute John Terry ought to have helped the ball on its way down the flank but instead headed it down into an area of danger. Lawrence scored ravenously with a first-time finish as Del Horno was too slow to close on him.
Mourinho grumbled that Chelsea had been asleep, but added: "You know that we will wake up and react." They did so, but only spasmodically and the 28th minute equaliser was rather unexpected. William Gallas crossed deep from the right and Joe Cole, standing beside the far post, nodded across goal for Hernan Crespo to head home.
The Argentinian was not the ideal individual for an occasion that called for the muscle of Didier Drogba, who has gone to the African Nations Cup, or of the injured Michael Essien.
Sunderland flagged a little, crucially, allowed Robben to come in off the right flank and put the ball on to his left foot for the shot that decided the outcome.
Chelsea, in consequence, are 16 points in front of Manchester United, but Mourinho preferred to note that Liverpool, with games in hand, can get to within 11.
Guardian Service
