Subdued would perhaps be the best way to describe the opening stages of this game, but the atmosphere was nearly ignited 15 minutes in.

Chemsdine Talbi produced a moment of magic down the left to whip in a pinpoint cross to the far post, but Brian Brobbey could only divert a volley wide from six yards out.

That seemed to spur Xabi Alonso’s men into life a little, and they were left feeling rather aggrieved midway through the first half when Cole Palmer took a tumble in the area under a challenge from Luke O’Nien.

However, both referee Jarred Gillett and VAR judged the foul to have come outside the box.

Gillett did point to the spot at the other end 10 minutes later, though, after Levi Colwill fouled Brian Brobbey inside the area.

Enzo Le Fee assumed responsibility from 12 yards, confidently stepping forward to send Mike Penders the wrong way and fire Sunderland ahead. 

Chelsea’s response was fairly muted, but they did fire in a warning shot from distance when Romeo Lavia was afforded too much time and space 30 yards from goal and whistled an effort narrowly wide of the post. 

Alonso had seen enough at half-time and made an attacking switch to bring Estevao on in place of Levi Colwill, but the change didn’t have the desired effect, as the Blues failed to have a single shot in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.

Further attacking reinforcements were thrown on, namely in the form of Danny Welbeck, but Chelsea simply couldn’t get going in the second half, and were lucky not to see the game put beyond them 13 minutes from time when a ball broke favourably for Wilson Isidor inside the area, only for him to be denied by the mountainous figure of Penders.

Geovany Quenda was another player Alonso entrusted to get the Blues back in the game, and he went close 10 minutes from time when he flashed a deflected left-footed effort narrowly wide of the post.

Chelsea kept up their pressure all the way to the final whistle, but despite a raft of attackers flooding the pitch, and a gilt-edged chance for Welbeck in stoppage time, they were unable to find a way through as their rotten run on the road stretched to just two wins from 11 competitive outings.

Sunderland, meanwhile, picked up just a second win in the Premier League this term as they moved off the bottom of the table.