Sunderland Climb Above Liverpool Following Away Win Over Chelsea

Chelsea appeared to be cruising to victory after Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring just four minutes into the match, cutting in from the left wing and firing through the legs of Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs to score his first goal for the Blues.

However, Sunderland did exactly what they have been doing since their return to top-flight football. They showed resilience and fighting spirit, which has been their identity for the last couple of months, and it paid off. Wilson Isidor equalized in the 22nd minute, hitting it home from close range after Chelsea failed to deal with a Nordi Mukiele long throw that caused chaos in the penalty area.

The match seemed destined for a draw as Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances against Sunderland's disciplined defense. But Granit Xhaka and Co. did not want to return from Stamford Bridge with just one point. 

In the third minute of stoppage time, Brian Brobbey controlled the ball in the penalty area before laying it off to Talbi, who placed a perfectly weighted shot into the bottom right corner.

"We know we are Sunderland. We have a great team with great players. We knew we could do the job and we showed it today," Talbi said after the match.

The victory placed Sunderland into second place in the Premier League table with 17 points from nine matches, sitting just two points behind leaders Arsenal. For a side that only secured promotion through a 95th-minute winner in the Championship playoff final against Sheffield United in May, this is an extraordinary achievement.

Sunderland finished last season 24 points behind automatic promotion winners Leeds United and Burnley, yet they now find themselves above both Manchester City and Liverpool in the standings.

The Black Cats are currently outperforming the other two promoted clubs by a huge margin, having accumulated 17 points compared to Leeds and Burnley's combined 15 points.

Manager Regis Le Bris has been the architect of Sunderland's stunning start and he was delighted with his side’s performance at Stamford Bridge.

"It's a good performance, especially after the early goal," Le Bris told reporters after the match. "We won three points. We are happy with the way we played. It is important to grab this opportunity when possible".

Le Bris' substitutions proved decisive, with both Talbi and Brobbey making immediate impacts after coming off the bench in the second half.​

Sunderland is set to host Arsenal on November 8 at the Stadium of Light. If Xhaka’s men manage to topple the leaders, the Premier League might have to gear up for a historic season from the Black Cats. Le Bris’ side might be headed to the European championships if they continue to drop similar performances.