Sunderland 3-4 Chelsea: Lampard and Hazard on target for Chelsea in tight win

Chelsea overcame a spirited Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, coming out 4-3 winners after a dramatic encounter.

Click here for photos, stats and the match report of the thrilling fixture - on Soccerlens.com

Video: Blast From The Past – Gus Poyet’s Chelsea screamer vs Sunderland, 99/00

The Daily Mirror

Chelsea gear up to face Sunderland in the Stadium of Light on Wednesday evening, and the majority of the Blues faithful will reserve a special round of applause for the Black Cats boss, Gustavo Poyet.

The Uruguayan’s fantastic four-year contribution to the Chelsea cause as a devastating attacking midfielder is still recognized today, especially due to a special goal that shook the Premier league to its core, all those years ago.

It was the opening day of the season, August 17^th 1999; and Chelsea were starting their campaign at Stamford Bridge against Peter Reid’s newly promoted Sunderland outfit. The Blues had brought in a host of star names over the summer, all within a pre-Abramovich budget, and the likes of French captain Didier Deschamps were making their eagerly anticipated debut.

Indeed it was Deschamps who set the ball rolling – rather soaring – for the start of what really is one of the very best Premier League goals of all time.

Click here to watch the goal (one of my all-time favourite efforts) - on Soccerlens.com

Paulo Di Canio Strikes Back

telegraph.co.uk

 

Ex-Sunderland manager, Paulo Di Canio, has publically come out in staunch defence of his tenure at the club; blaming ‘pathetic’ fitness levels, strange transfer dealings, and poor player attitudes for his lack of success.

Click here to read the article, on soccerlens.com

Di Canio, Mourinho and Wenger: ‘Change’ a hard concept for the ‘unchangeable’

“I may never get the popularity of my footballers, but I’m sure I’ll get the best out of them.” Paulo Di Canio fatefully said at the end of August,

“There are environments when not being popular helps get the best out of players and the results we want. Anyway, I’m never going to change.

One day, I will be one of the top managers.”

The now former Sunderland boss, Di Canio is not alone in his aversion to change, as the likes of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have proven over their respective careers; but it is with natural foundations of faith that ensures the line between success and failure in this regard remains a fine one.

Click here to read my article on the comparisons between the three managers, on soccerlens.com

Photo: The Guardian