Le Fée’s penalty stuns Chelsea and breathes life into defiant Sunderland

A lot can change in five‑and‑a‑half months, but as an early winter chill descended on Wearside last week – both meteorologically and ­metaphorically – Sunderland were determined that some things should remain the same. Just as they had beaten Chelsea on the final day of last season to ensure European qualification for the first time in 53 years, they did so again on Sunday to lift themselves off the bottom of the Premier League. The Sunderland performance was certainly familiar to their head coach, Régis Le Bris – “the identity, the intensity, the togetherness, the way we managed the game” – on the way to three crucial points. Continue reading...