Champions thrash the chumpions

Last updated : 21 May 2017 By Paul Lagan

It's all over for another league season, Chelsea ran out deserved 5-1 winners against relegated Sunderland, John Terry made a tearful final exit from his beloved Stamford Bridge pitch on 26 minutes.

Goals from Willian, Eden Hazard, Pedro and  a brace by Michy Batshuayi secured a comfortable win despite the Blues going an early goal down.

That three points saw the Blues victorious for the 30th time this season, an incredible club record which beat Jose Mourinho's 2005/06 record of 29.

But this match was all about celebration and farewell.

Assistant manager Steve Holland also leaves the club to join the England senior set-up, and how many of these players will return to pre-season duty in July?

Oops! Three minutes in and the pesky visitors have the temerity to try and spoil the love-in for John Terry, who is playing his last league game for Chelsea. They go and take the lead. Javir Manquillo thrashes home a close-range right-footer when a free-kick is deflected into his path.

Sunderland, already relegated from the Premier League.

This just annoyed the Chelsea players and four minutes later Marcos Alonso rattled the crossbar as they home side went for that equaliser. Thirty seconds later and it duly came from the right boot of Willian who struck home from an angle after excellent controlled possession play around gthe Sunderland penalty area, released  the Brazilian wide man who hammered home past Jordan Pickford.

An Alonso shot an excellent chance by Costa should have put the Premier league champions into a deserved lead. 

Pick for then produced a fantastic save to thwart Victor Moses as the Blues piled on the pressure.

David Luiz was next up, but this time his header from a corner inched over the crossbar.

With 26 minutes on the clock, Costa told Pickford, who had the ball in his hands to kick it into touch.

It signalled the end to the career of terry who, left the pitch with tears in his eyes and a guard of honour from his team-mates - to be replaced for Gary Cahill.

It was Terry's 717 match for the Blues in a 22-year career at Stamford Bridge.

That pre-arranged stunt did have the effect of halting Chelsea's momentum and the game entered a period a dull mediocrity, something Sunderland were very happy about.

Diego Costa got his obligatory yellow card, which if he got another would see him miss out on next weekend's FA Cup Final against Arsenal.

There were no changes of personnel at half time.

A piece of inspiration was needed to life the game and it came on 61 minutes from the left boot of Eden Hazard who arrowed home his 16th league goal of the season to put the Blues 2-1 up.

Costa was then replaced by Michy Batshuayi. He waved to the crowd. Was that his final league game for the Blues - China seems a likely destination for the striker.

Pedro was the final Chelsea player to come on, for Hazard on 71 minutes.

While the Chelsea fans sing 'That's why we are champions, Joleon Lescott's terrible looping back header on 77 minutes which allowed Pedro to nip in behind Pickford and head home might very well be the reason Sunderland fans should sign 'That's why we are relegated'. It was an awful mistake by the centre-back.

Two late strike by substitute Batshuayi put the icing on the end of the perfect league campaign.

Next week it's the FA Cup Final against Arsenal at Wembley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsea

Courtois, Alonso, Fabregas, Kante, Hazard, Moses, Costa, Willian, Terry, Azpilicueta, Luiz,

Subs, Begovic, Zouma, Pedro, Matic, Batshuayi, Cahill, Chalobah 

 

Sunderland;

Pickford, Jones, Oviedo, Cattermole, Larson, Rodwell, Borini, Lescott, O'Shea, Manquillo,  Januzaj

Subs: Mannone, Love, Gibson, Astro, Maja, Embleton, Gooch

 

Referee Neil Swarbrick