Sunderland vs Chelsea : 5 Talking Points

So far, Chelsea have been rampant to say the least. Devastating in attack & solid in defense, the Blues have been difficult to breakdown. In a game which saw Chelsea being stopped from scoring for the first time this season, Sunderland showed immense discipline & organisation to frustrate as well as test the table-toppers. Chelsea remain unbeaten, with the streak going upto 13 games, but only just.Chelsea looked good from the start, knocking the ball around with the confidence of a side topping the standings. Willian hit the woodwork in what was the best chance for the blues in the first half. Sunderland had the raucous crowd behind them and it showed in their game. Vergini & Wickham both came really close to scoring for the Black Cats while Cattermole was defending for his life as he threw his body in the way of several goal-bound efforts.The visitors were quite fortunate not to have Diego Costa sent off for what appeared to be an attempted kick on John O’Shea. Chelsea showed a lot of intent but weren’t able to penetrate. Pantilimon was alert to deny Ivanovic and Cahill from close range. The home side had the better opportunities in the second half as they almost went ahead with 11 minutes remaining through Jozy Altidore. Adam Johnson spurned an even better opportunity soon after, poking narrowly wide from 12 yards after Altidore had again caused problems.Overall, it was a deserved stalemate while it could have gone any way. Here are the 5 talking points from the encounter.

#1 Chelsea are still the team to beat

The result might not have been in the favour of the blues but that takes nothing away from their form which has seen them enjoy their second best start ever to a Premier League season. They were threatening from the word go and kept on pouring in attacks as the game went on. They are now unbeaten for a total of 20 games in all competitions, 13 in the premier league. With a tally of 33 points from a possible 39, they are surely the team to beat as they continue their seemingly unstoppable surge towards the Premier League title.

#2 Sunderland have got it

The last team to beat Chelsea in the Premier League was Sunderland, back in April. However awkward it may sound, Mourinho's men have not found it easy against Sunderland in recent times. Today again, Sunderland were really solid. They blocked efforts, were well organised, played as a unit and managed to give the opposition some nervy moments as well. They are the first team which has been able to stop the blues from scoring this season while earning a well-deserved point. Surely, they have what it takes to test, if not beat the Premier League leaders.

#3 A bad day for Chelsea\'s attackers

In what appeared to be an off-day for the chelsea attackers, the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard struggled to make any significant impact against a well-organised Sunderland side. Oscar was kept quiet and Willian wasn’t effective enough despite having one of the best chances in the game as his low drive hit the woodwork. Even Drogba, Schurrle or Remy, who came on as substitutes could not do much. The Blues dominated possession but were unable to make the most out of it as the Black Cats denied any attacking flow.

#4 Chelsea\'s continuity

Jose Mourinho fielded a starting 11 that has been unchanged now for the last three games and most of the season. The continuity in the squad and the style of play has helped them have that extra edge every time they face a team on the field. The team seems to have found the right mix of players and that is evident from their results. That continuity is however, set to be disrupted temporarily as Diego Costa will miss out on the Blues' midweek match against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday with a suspension due to accumulated yellow cards.

#5 Sunderland\'s resilience

Sunderland has now drawn more games than any other Premier League side this season, 8 to be specific. The Black Cats put up a disciplined performance against a Chelsea side which seemed to be on a roll and were able to hold them to a goalless draw. Both teams had their fair share of chances, none quite able to capitalize enough. However, Sunderland would be happy to avoid defeat. Ranked 13^th in the table, they might just be able to have a successful season and nonetheless, stay afloat.