Sunderland earned a 3-2 comeback win over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light to move out of the relegation zone in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Diego Costa gave the Blues the lead in the 14th minute, but Wahbi Khazri responded with an equaliser four minutes before half-time.
Sunderland were dealt a blow when Nemanja Matic regained the lead for Chelsea just before the break, but two goals in three minutes from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe made sure that the Black Cats ended the game winners.
The North-East outfit are one point above the drop with two games left to play.
Discover how the game unfolded in Sports Mole's text commentary below.
2.00pmAfternoon all! There are only a handful of games left to play in this Premier League season. The title race has already been won as Leicester City were crowned champions earlier this week, but the top four is yet to be decided and there are still teams battling for their lives at the bottom. One of those teams is Sunderland, and we will be bringing you all the action from their match against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.
2.04pmThe Black Cats still have a chance of retaining their Premier League status as they are one point off safety with three games to play. Their bitter rivals Newcastle currently occupy the place above them, but Sam Allardyce and his men have a game in hand on the Magpies. Sunderland could probably get away with picking up a point today, but a win would relax the fans slightly ahead of games against Everton and Watford.
2.06pmAs for Chelsea, well, it's been a disappointing season for them in general given that they have failed to defend their league title and will miss out on a place in next season's Champions League. Guus Hiddink's side are hoping to finish the campaign on a high, though, as they prepare to face Sunderland, Liverpool and champions Leicester in their final three games. Earlier in the season, the Blues lingered towards the relegation zone, but they have moved back into the top half of the table and currently sit ninth in the standings.
2.06pmRight, before we go any further, let's bring you the lineups for this afternoon.
2.08pmSUNDERLAND XI: Mannone; Yedlin, Van Aanholt, Kaboul, Kone; Kirchhoff, Cattermole, M'Vila; Borini, Khazri, Defoe
Subs: Pickford, Larsson, Rodwell, N'Doye, O'Shea, Lens, Watmore
Subs: Pickford, Larsson, Rodwell, N'Doye, O'Shea, Lens, Watmore
2.09pmCHELSEA XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Costa
Subs: Begovic, Baba Rahman, Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy, Oscar, Traore, Pato
Subs: Begovic, Baba Rahman, Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy, Oscar, Traore, Pato
2.12pmSam Allardyce has selected the same XI that he has started in their last five matches. This team are unbeaten in their last three games. So, Vito Mannone lines up in goal, with DeAndre Yedlin, Patrick van Aanholt, Younes Kaboul and Lamine Kone in defence. Jan Kirchhoff, Lee Cattermole and Yann M'Vila also keep their places, while Fabio Borini and Wahbi Khazri will provide attacking support to Jermain Defoe.
2.13pmAs for the visitors, Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink has made two changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday. Thibaut Courtois returns in between the sticks after serving a two-game ban, while Eden Hazard has come into the fray following his impressive performance after coming off the bench against Spurs. The changes mean that goalkeeper Asmir Begovic drops to the bench, while Pedro is not in the squad at all today.
2.16pmSo, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta will line the defence, with John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic holding midfield. Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Hazard will sit above the midfield two, with Diego Costa leading the line up front.
2.19pmSunderland have been battling relegation in the last few seasons and this one has been no different. Their destiny is in their own hands as they have one game extra to play as opposed to their relegation rivals Newcastle, who are currently safe but just by one point. Norwich City are also in the bottom three and they are currently one point behind Sunderland because at the moment they are losing 1-0 to Manchester United.
2.23pmLast weekend's 1-1 draw with Stoke City could end up being a crucial result in Sunderland's battle to stay up. The Black Cats were staring at a 1-0 defeat after Marko Arnautovic took the lead in the 50th minute. As the clock ticked down, Sunderland struggled to find an equaliser, but they were dealt some luck when a penalty was awarded in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Jermain Defoe managed to slot it home to give Sunderland an important point.
2.25pmSince March, the North-East outfit have struggled to turn draws into wins. They have recorded six draws in their last eight Premier League games. In that time, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to champions Leicester and managed to beat fellow relegation battlers Norwich 3-0 at Carrow Road.
2.28pmThe draws came against Crystal Palace, Southampton, Newcastle, West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal and Stoke. So far this season, Sunderland have drawn 11 of their 35 league games, lost 17 and won just seven. Under former manager Dick Advocaat, it took them nine games before they picked up their first win in the top flight. The victory came against arch rivals Newcastle and the ended up as 3-0 winners. The team only won six more games after that, and they were against Crystal Palace, Stoke, Aston Villa, Swansea City, Manchester United and Norwich.
2.32pmLast season, Sunderland secured their safety in the Premier League by holding Arsenal to a goalless draw at the Emirates. It was their penultimate game of the season and a subsequent 3-1 defeat to Chelsea did not affect their position. This time, Sunderland will have to pick up some points in their final three games given how tight it is at the bottom.
2.34pmSTATS! As we know, Sunderland have only managed to win one of their last nine league games having drawn six and lost two, and they have scored more than one goal in just two of those fixtures. Goals have been hard to come by at home in particular this season as they have netted just 17 at the Stadium of Light. Only already-relegated Aston Villa have a worse record (14).
2.36pmDID YOU KNOW? Defoe is having a positive season on the goal front given that he has scored 14 times in the league, but only three of them have been produced at home. The striker does have an opportunity to equal or improve on his highest scoring tally, though. His best season was the 2009-10 campaign when he scored 18 league goals for Spurs, so he needs four more in his last there games to match it.
2.38pmThe Black Cats face a tough task against Chelsea, particularly after watching the Blues' comeback on Monday night. Tottenham seemed to be in complete control when they went 2-0 up in the first half, but Chelsea fought back with goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard to restrict them to a draw. It was a fiery encounter and the pressure looked to have got to the Tottenham players. Allardyce has urged his team not to have the same downfall.
2.39pmAllardyce told reporters: "What happened to Tottenham mentally, we cannot afford for that to happen to our team. We have to stay focused from start to finish.
"Tottenham lost a goal then lost the plot mentally, so then all of a sudden all the talent they have in that side just went by the way and they ended up not only losing the game but doing the strangest thing I've ever seen a Tottenham side do, and that's get nine players booked and make some quite ferocious tackles at the same time."
© Getty Images
2.42pmUPDATE! It's good news for Sunderland as Norwich have been beaten 1-0 by Manchester United at Carrow Road. This means that the Canaries remain one point behind the Black Cats with two games left to play. To reach the match report, click here.
2.44pmLet's go back to Monday's game, shall we? It was a thrilling game to watch as Tottenham needed a win in order to keep themselves in the title race alongside Leicester. Mauricio Pochettino's side seemed to be on the verge of doing so when they scored twice in the first half. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min got on the scoresheet as Spurs looked comfortable on the Stamford Bridge pitch, but it all changed in the second half.
2.46pmGary Cahill sparked a comeback by scoring from a corner in the 58th minute and tempers began to flare between the London rivals. Referee Mark Clattenburg dished out 12 yellow cards in total and it was surprising that nobody was sent off! There were two mass brawls, one during the game and the second on the final whistle, and Mousa Dembele has been struck with a six-game ban for appearing to eye gouge Diego Costa during a confrontation.
2.48pmThe moment when Tottenham's title dreams were crushed was when Eden Hazard scored a sublime goal in the 83rd minute, handing the title to Leicester. Chelsea have been out of the title race for a long time, so the fans wanted nothing more than to stop Spurs from getting their hands on the crown. Added to that, they were also backing former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, who has guided Leicester to a remarkable title win.
This was the moment when Chelsea booted Spurs out of the title race...
2.51pmChelsea were obviously pleased to restrict their London rivals to just a point, but they are used to being in the title race themselves. They won the crown under former manager Jose Mourinho last season in comfortable fashion, but they have experienced a big decline in this campaign. The club dropped down the table, Mourinho was sacked, and their hopes of silverware were dashed.
2.51pmThe best that Chelsea can hope for is a top-half finish in the table. There is reason for optimism, though, as they begin a new era under manager Antonio Conte next season. Hiddink has had the reigns since December and he has done well in the Premier League as they went 15 games unbeaten before suffering a surprise 1-0 loss to Swansea City.
2.52pmAnother disappointing result followed when they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City on home turf. It was the Sergio Aguero show as he scored a hat-trick, completely dominating the Blues at the Bridge. Chelsea are unbeaten in their last two league games, though, following a 4-1 triumph over Bournemouth and their comeback draw against Tottenham.
2.53pmOne of the main problems for Chelsea this season has been the lack of form from individual players. Hazard was named PFA Player of the Year last season, but he has been a shadow of his former self in this campaign. A big reason for it has been a troublesome hip problem that he has had to deal with for months, but he seems to be finding form now. The playmaker has scored three goals in his last two league games.
2.54pmAll eyes will turn to the transfer window when the season ends, and John Terry will be one man in the headlines. The centre-back is expected to leave his boyhood club this summer after he was not offered a new contract. Chelsea themselves have publicly stated that a new deal has not been ruled out, but the Daily Mail reported earlier this week that the former England international is planning to hire Stamford Bridge to stage a leaving party. This means that Terry's final game in front of Chelsea's home fans could be against champions Leicester on the last day of the season.
2.55pmWith regards to this afternoon's game, Chelsea are heading into it with confidence given that they have lost just two of their last 19 top-flight games. Hiddink claimed earlier this week that despite his team having nothing to play for, they remain committed as ever.
"It's important for ourselves, for our pride and for our enjoyment of football. Second, we want to have the same approach for all the teams who are still fighting to avoid relegation.
"They deserve the same approach in our seriousness, with no guarantee that we can win, but we will go for the win of course.
"Given the situation it wouldn't be fair of us to have a serious approach for the Spurs game and not have a serious approach for the other games."
© Getty Images
2.56pmDID YOU KNOW? Chelsea have had 19 different scorers this season, which is a Premier League high. Also, their 19 points from eight away games in 2016 is the best in the top flight this season. With regards to the team's defensive work, though, they have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 games in this division.
2.58pmHEAD TO HEAD: Chelsea are on top in the head-to-head records given that they have won 19 of their last 23 league meetings with Sunderland. The Black Cats have won just two of them. Also, it has been 16 years since the North-East outfit secured a home win over Chelsea.
2.58pmRight, both teams are out on the pitch. The obligatory handshakes are underway and we are just a matter of minutes away from kickoff.
1 minKICKOFF! Chelsea get us underway at the Stadium of Light! Sunderland's survival hopes will be boosted with a win today. Let's see what happens!
1 minBOOKING! Bad news for Cahill as he goes into the book in the first minute! Sunderland start with attacking intent, putting pressure on Chelsea's back line. The visitors win the ball back and Fabregas tries a back pass but it's sloppy and goes into the path of Defoe. Cahill brings him down and gives away a free kick.
2 minThe set piece is wasted by Sunderland, though, as Khazri takes it, but his attempt blasts straight into the wall.
3 minNow it's Chelsea's turn to attack and they manage to find a way through. It's not the best defending from Sunderland as Fabregas is given space on the edge of the box. The Spaniard lines up a shot, but a tackle stops him from letting one fly.
5 minThe visitors opt for a long-ball approach as its hoofed up top for Costa, who manages to brust away from his markers, but Mannone comes out to collect.
7 minPenalty? Nope! Azpilicueta wants one after he goes down in the box after challenging Yedlin for the ball, but the referee waves away his claims. The Sunderland defender made little contact so it with the right call from referee Mike Jones.
10 minIt's been a decent start to the game with movement at either end. Sunderland have approached the game with plenty of energy and they're pressing the Chelsea defence. The home fans in the stadium will hope that it pays off with goals!
10 minCHANCE! The first opportunity of the game goes to Chelsea. Azpilicueta and Hazard link up in the middle of the park before the playmaker races down the left wing. The Belgian charges into the box and squares the ball to Willian, who shoots lot, but Mannone drops down to save comfortably.
13 minHazard is getting involved in these early stages. The Belgian pokes the ball through to Fabregas, who whips the ball into the box, which is deflected behind by Kone. Chelsea are getting on top here.
14 minGOAL! SUNDERLAND 0-1 CHELSEA (COSTA)
14 minChelsea put a dent in Sunderland's survival hopes by taking the lead at the Stadium of Light! It's Costa who gets the glory after slotting home from six yards out. The striker was a little fortunate as Cahill's pass got deflected off a Sunderland shirt and into Costa's path.
16 minChelsea are flying high after taking the lead and Sunderland are struggling to see any of the ball. Allardyce's players need to take the sting out of Chelsea's momentum otherwise they may face a bigger deficit.
18 minChelsea break quickly and the ball ends up at Willian's feet. The Brazilian finds space before delivering in a cross, searching for Costa, but the ball is cut out by Kaboul.
20 minOFF THE POST! Cattermole whips the ball into the danger area to find Defoe, who heads towards the target but the ball ends up bouncing off the post. Even if the ball had gone in, though, it would have been disallowed due to the offside flag being raised. Replays show that Defoe was actually onside.
22 minHaving been under the cosh for a period of time after a bright start, Sunderland are seeing a bit more of the ball now. Cattermole sends a low ball into the box for Borini, but the former Liverpool forward cannot get a shot away as Chelsea players swarm around him.
23 minCHANCE! Van Aanholt sends the ball into M'Vila's path. He inches closer to the box before trying to curl the ball past Courtois, but it ends up missing the target and going over the bar.
25 minSAVE! Defoe picks out Yedlin at the far post with a cross from the left side of the area. The defender manages to get a header away, but Courtois makes a stop. Better from Sunderland.
28 minCHANCE! At the other end, Costa has an opportunity to grab another goal when Ivanovic fizzes the ball across the face of goal, but the striker cannot reach far enough to get a foot on it.
32 minDefoe is through on goal, but he's ruled offside! It's a close call for the linesman but it looks as though he made the right decision. Chelsea look very threatening in the final third, but Sunderland have shown signs of getting back into the game.
33 minUPDATE! As it stands, Sunderland remain in the bottom three, two points behind Newcastle, whose game against Aston Villa is currently goalless.
36 minTerry and Borini are both receiving treatment after clashing in the air while vying for the ball. Terry seems to have suffered a dead leg, while Borini is being checked for a head injury. It takes some time, but both are back on their feet and ready to continue.
38 minIt's all Chelsea at the moment. They are keeping the ball well and are calmly passing it around the field. They eventually win a corner, which is cleared by Sunderland, who win a free kick close to the halfway line following a foul from Costa on Borini.
41 minGOAL! SUNDERLAND 1-1 CHELSEA (KHAZRI)
41 minWow, what a goal from Khazri! Sunderland equalise just a few minutes before the half-time whistle and it's an absolute stunner from Khazri! Cahill attempts to head the ball clear in the bos, but it drops to Khazri, who strikes with a volley into the far corner.
45 minThe hosts earn a free kick after Cahill brings down Cattermole. The Chelsea defender escapes another booking, which would result in a red card, but he receives a warning from the referee. Another foul will almost certainly end with a sending-off.
45+1 minSunderland won't want this half to end as they are now on the frontfoot. It looks as though it will be all square heading into the break.
45+3 minGOAL! SUNDERLAND 1-2 CHELSEA (MATIC)
45+3 minI spoke too soon! Heartache for Sunderland as Matic puts Chelsea ahead on the stroke of half-time! It's poor defending from the Black Cats as they fail to clear the ball in their own half. Azpilicueta heads the ball towards Matic, who slots it home.
45+4 minHALF-TIME: SUNDERLAND 1-2 CHELSEA
3.52pmReferee Mike Jones blows his whistle and Sunderland have work to do in the second half! Diego Costa gave Chelsea the lead in the 14th minute after a dominant spell from the visitors. The Black Cats were under the cosh for large spells of the half, but a sweet volley from Wahbi Khazri in the 41st minute kept Sunderland's survival hopes alive. They were dealt a blow on the stroke of half time when Nemanja Matic regained Chelsea's lead. As it stands, Sunderland are two points behind Newcastle, who occupy 17th spot. We'll return for the second half shortly!
45 minRESTART! Sunderland get the second half underway! No changes yet from either side.
47 minSunderland try to respond after going behind for a second time just before the break as Kirchhoff unleashes a shot from the edge of the area. His attempt gets blocked by Terry.
48 minCHANCE! Close from Defoe! Yedlin sends the ball across the six-yard box, but Defoe cannot reach it in time to slot it into the back post.
49 minSAVE! Crucial stop from Mannone! Costa would have made it 3-1 had it not been for the keeper. The Spain international is played through on goal, but the Sunderland shot-stopper denies him a second goal.
50 minKhazri curls the ball into the box from a free kick. It's nervy for Chelsea as it's headed up into the air, but Courtois manages to grab the ball.
52 minBOOKING! Cattermole receives a yellow card for lunging in on Hazard, who seems to be hurt. It was silly from the Sunderland midfielder, who could have easily seen red for catching Hazard's ankle.
54 minSunderland deal with the free kick, which is taken by Fabregas and Hazard is given the green light to continue.
55 minSUNDERLAND SUB: The hosts make a change as Kone comes off to make way for O'Shea.
59 minThere's quite a nervy atmosphere at the Stadium of Light. The members on the pitch are showing desire, but they're final ball is letting them down. Chelsea are looking relatively comfortable with their one-goal cushion.
61 minSAVE! Chelsea are hunting for a third goal and they come close once again! The ball is slid across to Costa, who has plenty of space to get a shot away. He delays his attempt, though, and when he does shoot from 12 yards out, Mannone is already off his line and blocks.
64 minCHANCE! The ball is at the other end this time. Sunderland win a corner, which is initially punched clear by Courtois, but the ball falls to Cattermole. The midfielder shoots first time, but he slices it over the bar.
67 minGOAL! SUNDERLAND 2-2 CHELSEA (BORINI)
67 minSunderland are back on level terms! It's Borini this time who gets on the scoresheet. The forward latches onto Aanholt's pass on the edge of the box. He unleashes a strike, which deflects off Terry and into the net.
70 minGOAL! SUNDERLAND 3-2 CHELSEA (DEFOE)
70 minSunderland have taken the lead!! The Black Cats have scored twice in three minutes! Defoe gets his 15th league goal of the season by striking the ball past Courtois from the middle of the box. The Stadium of Light is rocking!
71 minSUNDERLAND, CHELSEA SUBS: Both sides make changes as Rahman replaces Ivanovic and Larsson replaces Cattermole.
74 minSAVE! Chelsea try to respond immediately from a free kick, but Willian's attempt from the edge of the area is tipped over the bar by Mannone.
77 minWatmore guides Sunderland's counter-attack as he tries to feed the ball through to Defoe, but his pass is cut out.
79 minCHELSEA SUB: Another change for the Blues as Willian makes way for Oscar.
83 minCHELSEA SUB: The visitors make their final change as Traore comes on to replace Mikel.
85 minAll the pressure is coming from Chelsea as Sunderland try to cling on to this lead. The hosts clear the ball down field, but Chelsea start another attack.
87 minBOOKINGS! Terry goes into the book for bringing down Defoe, and minutes later Kaboul sees yellow after complaining that Fabregas's free kick is too close.
88 minChelsea earn a free kick in a dangerous position, but Sunderland deal with it. The home side are still under the cosh here!
90 minFive minutes added on! That's not what Sunderland fans wanted to hear! Can they hold on?!
90+2 minBorini loses the ball after getting tackled from behind. Chelsea get the ball in Sunderland's half and deliver a cross into the area, but Mannone picks the ball up.
90+4 minRED CARD! Oh dear, John Terry is sent off! The Chelsea defender is given his marching orders following a second yellow card for fouling Khazri.
90+5 minFULL-TIME: SUNDERLAND 3-2 CHELSEA
5.01pmWow, what a crucial win for Sunderland! Their 3-2 win means that they are out of the relegation zone, one point above Newcastle United with two games left to play. It was a disappointing result for Chelsea as they managed to go 2-1 ahead before getting pegged back by goals from Borini and Defoe. On top of that, John Terry was sent off for a second bookable offence! Right, that's all from us. Thank you for joining us and until next time, goodbye!
