Sunderland take giant step towards survival with stunning win over Chelsea

Sam Allardyce's Sunderland came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-2 in a stunning match which gives the Black Cats a great chance of staying up.

Sunderland had failed to beat Chelsea at home in 11 attempts, and when Diego Costa opened the scoring inside a quarter of an hour it seemed that trend would continue.

They equalised only to concede again just before half-time, but two goals in three minutes half-way through the second half from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe gave them a hugely important victory.

John Terry’s red card sealed the victory for Sunderland, and with it a vital three points.

For Terry, the sending off brings his Premier League career to an ignominous end: he will be banned for two matches, with his red card back in August meaning the normal one match ban gets a second match added.

With Norwich losing earlier in the day against Manchester United and Newcastle drawing 0-0 at Aston Villa, Sunderland now entertain Everton on Wednesday night knowing that victory will keep them safe for next season.

Sunderland are on 35 points with two matches to play, while Newcastle are on 34 with only one game remaining.

Norwich, meanwhile, are not yet down: they are on 31 points, but like Sunderland have two games left to play.

Has Fabio Borini saved Sunderland again? Borini has form for sparking Sunderland into life when it seems their survival chances are dead, and he might have done the same today. His side are now in charge of the race to stay up, which has not always been the case. It looked like a real team effort, suggesting that Sam Allardyce might have done enough to keep them up by the skin of their teeth yet again.

Whabi Khazri (Sunderland): Khazri impressed in his first few showings for Sunderland, and has been one of their best players ever since. His pace and strength is allied to an impressive technique, and if he remains at Sunderland next season then they finally have a player of real promise to use on the wings. It would be no great surprise if he wasn’t picked off by a bigger club regardless of whether they stay up or not. Against Chelsea he inspired his side’s comeback, and refused to give up.

Sunderland: Mannone 6, Yedlin 6, Van Aanholt 6, Kaboul 6, Kone 6, Kirchhoff 6, Cattermole 6, M’Vila 6, Borini 7, Khazri 8, Defoe 7. Subs: Larsson 6, O’Shea 6, Watmore 6

Chelsea: Courtois 6, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 5, Terry 4, Azpilicueta 6, Mikel 6, Matic 6, Willian 6, Fabregas 6, Hazard 7, Diego Costa 6. Subs: Baba Rahman 5, Oscar 6, Traore 7.

14’ - GOAL! Sunderland 0-1 Chelsea. Costa scores - Costa flicks the ball past a defender into Cahill. Cahill looks to pass inside, it flicks off a defender and runs back into the path of Costa, and he squeezes the ball around Mannone.

41’ - GOAL! Sunderland 1-1 Chelsea. Khazri scores - Some head tennis from Chelsea clears a free kick. It comes to Khazi who slices across the ball, glancing just off Cahill's head and flies into the far corner.

45+3’ - GOAL! Sunderland 1-2 Chelsea. Matic scores - Sunderland are opened up as Fabregas flicks a ball up into the air which bounces towards Azpilicueta, who nods the ball ahead for Matic's run into the box, and he slips it between Mannone's legs.

49’ - COSTA CHANCE - Hazard slips in Costa with a ball down the middle. Costa fires in at goal but Mannone had rushed out to charge him down.

67’ - GOAL! Sunderland 2-2 Chelsea. Borini scores - Ivanovic is down injured, but that's no concern for Sunderland.. Van Aanholt picks out Borini from the left. He steadies himself for a shot and lashes it past Courtois, the shot clipping Terry, despite the 'keeper getting two hands to it.

70’ - GOAL! Sunderland 3-2 Chelsea. Defoe scores - Rahman is beaten on the left, the cross is sent into the box by Yedlin. Defoe controls it, fires in a shot past Courtois into the far corner.

90+5’ - RED CARD! John Terry is sent off! A second yellow for going in studs-up on Khazri.

This is the first time that Sunderland have beaten Chelsea at home since October 2000.