Chelsea Get It Right.....This Time

In the second incarnation of the post-Mourinho era, Chelsea got off to a winning start, indeed a flying start. However, I won't be ordering any champagne after this convincing win, because the opposition were merely the Premiership's punch bags of Sunderland, a team who are even worse than we are. If and when Chelsea should string five or six wins together, against much stronger opponents, then it just might be time to organise an open-top bus. Newly-appointed caretaker manager Guus Hiddink was publicly introduced to the players on the pitch in what looked like a carefully choreographed endeavour to show the world that the new regime begins with some semblance of harmony and handshakes and hugs. Humbug!

Meanwhile, guest manager for the day was none other than dear old steady Eddie Newton who, true to form, stuck to the same personnel from recent struggling times, when he had a golden opportunity to look at a few new faces and stamp his own mark on the proceedings. However, in the event, his choices were vindicated or at least they thrived, as Sunderland capitulated all too easily. In fact, this may be yet another distortion in which the hot and cold Oscar looks briefly once more like a world beater while his team look once more like they have turned a corner. Ah yes, when have we heard that naive optimism before? Still, you can only overcome what is placed in front of you, and happily our assembled muppets did precisely that. Somehow I think that in-form Watford will be an altogether different proposition when they come to box against us on Boxing Day. Or can Chelse actually string two Premiership wins together? They did at least achieve one Premiership milestone at home to the Mackems. They built a two-goal interval lead, which I think is a first this deplorable season. Maybe they are on the up after all! Oh wait, now I'm hallucinating too.

However, any drivel about the players failing to play against Leicester the other night but suddenly turning it on against the weak Wearsiders fails to recognise that perhaps Leicester are actually quite good and Sunderland on the other hand are relegation candidates. Furthermore, we also won our first Premiership penalty for a long time, which is no surprise to me, as we were never going to be granted any penalties when Mourinho insists on mind games with referees. The more he chastised them and pleaded with them, the less likely they were to oblige us with a spot kick. Now he's gone, perhaps normal service will resume from the dastardly officials?

Finally, permit me to tuck into bed the tosh about Chelsea players deliberately not trying to score goals for Jose. There have been hundreds and hundreds of centre forwards and other players who have scored lots of goals for managers that they didn't like. To suggest that our lot were purposely missing the target just reveals some paranoid Chelsea supporters are yet again missing the target with their half-baked analysis. Such sheer stupidity. 

CHELSEA 3 Sunderland 1; half time: 2-0.

CHELSEA goal scorers: Ivanovic, Pedro, Oscar (penalty)

CHELSEA team: Courtois; Azpilicueta; Ivanovic; Zouma; Terry; Matic; Pedro; Fabregas; Costa; Willian; Oscar. Used substitutes: Mikel; Remy; Ramires.

CHELSEA LEADING SCORERS:

Willian seven goals

Costa four goals

Oscar four goals

Pedro three goals

Ramires three goals

Remy three goals

Cahill two goals

Zouma two goals