Chelsea suffered a defeat at Sunderland on Saturday as John Terry played his last game for the club. The captain was sent off after picking up two yellow cards, which rules him out of the final two games this season as it was his second sending off of the season. With his contract up in the summer, it’s likely this was the defender’s last action in a Chelsea shirt. Not a great way to finish in all honesty!
Terry’s red card came in added time at the end of the match, with Chelsea already behind. Diego Costa had opened the scoring at the Stadium of Light, before Wahbi Khazri levelled. Nemanja Matic restored the lead, only for Fabio Borini to equalise. Jermain Defoe hit the winner, which lifted the Black Cats out of the bottom three.
Thibaut Courtois returned after suspension, replacing Asmir Begovic, Eden Hazard was introduced from the start here, after impressing as a sub last time out. John Terry once again led the team out, as he prepared for his Stamford Bridge farewell. With a strong team out, Guus Hiddink clearly wanted to build on his side’s fightback against Tottenham on Monday night.
Sunderland came into this match knowing they faced a massive week, one which would decide their Premier League future. Things didn’t start too well for them here, as Costa gave Chelsea the lead. The forward got onto a loose ball in the box, and slipped it home from a tight angle.
As half time approached, the Blues let the home side take control of the game. The Black Cats finally got on the scoresheet 41 minutes in, thanks to a great strike from Kahzri. It took just six minutes for the lead to be restored, as Matic struck just before half time. At the break, Sunderland were in massive trouble.
They had a much better second half, and once again Chelsea collapsed under pressure. Borini, the man who ended Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten Stamford Bridge run, caused more problems for the Blues here. He struck from outside the box, making it 2-2 with just over 20 minutes to go.
The winner came just three minutes after Borini’s strike. Former Spurs man Jermain Defoe got the all-important goal for the Black Cats. His quick touch and volley beat the flatfooted Chelsea backline. Things got even worse for the team, as Terry was sent off in the 95th minute.
His second red card of the season brought a two match ban, which means his season is over. Sunday’s game with Leicester was meant to be a big send off to the man who has led Chelsea for over 10 years. Instead, the fans who want to see him off will be watching the game alongside the captain.
The poor result here took a back seat to the disappointment over Terry’s red card. The captain won’t get a chance to say goodbye to the Bridge. He’s just the latest legend to leave without a big send off, it happened with both Frank Lampard and Petr Cech in recent years. In an awful season, this is just another blow to the dethroned champions.
LCN Man of the Match: Nemanja Matic