Sunderland and Regis Le Bris claimed a much-needed victory in the Premier League as they beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
The Black Cats had gone seven matches without a win in the division and had lost five of those games, which left them bottom of the table heading into the weekend.
They still head into the November international break in the relegation zone, unfortunately, but this win over the Blues gives them something to build from moving forward.
Le Bris’ side were even dealt a blow in the opening minutes of the game when their captain, Granit Xhaka, limped off through injury, which makes the result even more impressive.
How Sunderland’s win over Chelsea unfolded
Despite Xhaka’s injury, it was the home side who started on the front foot and put plenty of pressure on the Chelsea goal with their forward runs and direct play.
Their aggressive style eventually paid off when Brian Brobbey was fouled in the box in the 36th minute of the match, as Enzo Le Fee stood up to bury his spot-kick into the bottom left corner.
The French attacking midfielder struggled to get into the game at times, taking only 35 touches in total, but he ended up having the most important touch of the afternoon with his penalty.
Sunderland then managed the remainder of the game superbly. Chelsea had 69% of the ball and only created 0.53 xG from their ten shots on goal, rarely troubling Robin Roefs between the sticks.
Brian Brobbey’s confusing performance against Chelsea
It was Brobbey who won the penalty for the Black Cats with his surging run into the box, although it remains up for debate as to whether he was fouling Levi Colwill by holding onto his shirt in the first place or not.
|
Vs Chelsea |
Brian Brobbey |
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
67 |
|
Shots |
2 |
|
Big chances missed |
2 |
|
Touches |
20 |
|
Possession lost |
10x |
|
Ground duels won |
2/7 |
|
Aerial duels won |
0/4 |
|
Fouls committed |
3 |
However, it was a confusing performance to judge because the Netherlands international also missed two huge chances in front of goal and lost the ball with every other touch.
Brobbey missed a glorious opening when Chemsdine Talbi whipped a ball in before also firing high and over the bar after bundling his way past Wesley Fofana in the box, whilst the score was 0-0.
If he can tune up his finishing and add more consistency to his final action in the box, Sunderland will have one of the most dangerous centre-forwards in the world.
Better than Brobbey: 9/10 Sunderland star destroyed Chelsea
Whilst Brobbey had things to like and dislike about his display against Xabi Alonso’s side, one of his teammates totally destroyed Chelsea with his performance on Sunday.
Noah Sadiki has been a star for the Black Cats since his move from USG in the summer of 2025, and he put in yet another outstanding showing against the Blues.
Le Bris selected the DR Congo international to start alongside Xhaka in the middle of the park, but he soon found himself alongside the inexperienced 20-year-old Jules Ahoka.
Sunderland’s young midfielder eased his way through the match, though, because Sadiki was a monster, covering every blade of grass, and excelling on and off the ball.
Commentating on the game for Sky Sports, former Premier League striker and current pundit Chris Sutton described the midfielder’s performance as “sensational”, noting that he was everywhere on the pitch for the Black Cats.
It was a 9/10 performance from the 21-year-old talent because he contributed to the team’s success on and off the pitch throughout the win over Chelsea.
Sadiki was exceptional on the ball during the contest. He only lost possession four times from 40 touches, completing 88% of his passes, and played an excellent pass in the build-up to Wilson Isidor’s ‘big chance’ in the second half.
|
Vs Chelsea |
Noah Sadiki |
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
90 |
|
Touches |
40 |
|
Possession lost |
4x |
|
Pass accuracy |
88% |
|
Ground duels won |
3/5 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1/1 |
|
Ball recoveries |
6 |
|
Dribbled past |
0x |
He was just as good off the ball for Sunderland, winning four of his six duels, and he was not dribbled past a single time by a Chelsea player in the 90 minutes, despite his constant pressing and aggressive style.
Sadiki totally destroyed Chelsea because he broke up or stunted their attacks with his excellent defensive work, whilst also playing a crucial role in how Sunderland slowed the game down and retained possession.
Whilst Brobbey had good and bad parts to his performance, the central midfielder was even better with a complete showing for the Black Cats.
