Sunderland claimed their first Premier League win since August by beating Chelsea at the Estádio da Luz, in a match marked by a controversial refereeing decision. The penalty converted by Enzo le Fee in the 36th minute proved decisive.
The way it was awarded caused controversy: referee Jarred Gillett judged that Levi Colwill pulled Brian Brobbey to the ground, even though both players were holding on to each other as Brobbey ran towards goal.
Sunderland ease pressure on Le Bris
The win, only their second in the league this season but their sixth in all competitions, eases the pressure on head coach Regis le Bris. The team nevertheless remain in the relegation zone, 18th in the table.
Chelsea, for their part, suffered their second defeat in three matches and stay fifth, missing the chance to move into the top four.
Le Bris’s position was delicate, especially after the 2-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in Europe, which led fans to whistle the team at the final whistle. However, club sources indicated that the French coach would be given more time to turn the team’s fortunes around, regarding the 7th place achieved last season as a notable feat.
The performance against Chelsea was praised and marks the turning point the fans had been hoping for.
Xhaka and Brobbey go off injured
Despite the win, Le Bris has injury concerns over two of his key players, Granit Xhaka and Brobbey, who both left the pitch with muscle problems. Brobbey put in an outstanding performance and came close to opening the scoring with a header that went very narrowly wide of the goal.
After Brobbey was substituted in the 77th minute, Sunderland adopted a more defensive approach, but were rarely threatened by the Londoners.
With this result, Sunderland moved up from 20th to 18th, just one point from safety. The coming weeks will be crucial for the team, who are looking to build on this win and move away from the relegation zone.
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