Premier League 2 Match Report - Chelsea 2 Sunderland 2

Chelsea 2 Sunderland 2

Our development squad came from behind to lead at Cobham but were forced to settle for a Premier League 2 point at home to Sunderland.
Ethan Robson put the visitors ahead midway through the half before Reece James and Josh Grant turned the game around with impressive individual strikes. The Blues looked to be heading towards their second victory of the season until Thomas Beadling’s thunderbolt flew past Marcin Bulka and ensured a share of the spoils.
There were six changes from our last PL2 outing as Jake Clarke-Salter and Charly Musonda were handed much-needed match action, while Trevoh Chalobah continued his injury comeback with a start in defence.
Chalobah and Clarke-Salter lined up alongside Richard Nartey in a back three, with Bulka retained in goal and the pair of James and Grant operating as wing-backs. Miro Muheim started up front once again, supported by Isaac Christie-Davies and Jacob Maddox, while Ruben Sammut and skipper Musonda played in central midfield.
It took a little over five minutes for the visitors to threaten with the opening chance as Elliot Embleton slid a pass forward for Robson but the midfielder was shepherded away from danger for a corner, which came to nothing.
Musonda fashioned the first opening for the Blues moments later, the Belgian feeding Christie-Davies down the right before goalkeeper James Talbot raced out to save with his feet as the angle narrowed. Maddox was then upended 20 yards out, allowing Musonda the opportunity to test Talbot with a curling free-kick that was parried down and gathered comfortably.

As the hosts seemed to settle into the contest, they fell behind with 25 minutes on the clock. Sloppy passing out from the back saw Sunderland win possession and Bulka made a smart stop to deny Rees Greenwood before Robson’s effort into the ground looped kindly over the keeper and into the back of the net.
A response was required from Edwards’s men and they reacted positively, overturning the scoreline within 10 minutes. Marc Guehi had scored a stunning opener for our youth team earlier in the day at Cobham and James’s effort was no less spectacular. Grant advanced from left wing-back and teed up Christie-Davies, whose saved strike rebounded out for James to thump a drive into the far corner with frightening power and precision.
Four minutes later, it was 2-1 to Chelsea and Christie-Davies was involved again as he combined neatly with Grant on the left before the defender bent a brilliant curling effort into the far side of the goal, leaving the goalkeeper stranded helplessly.

The lead set the groundwork for the Blues to dominate and they came close to extending the advantage before half-time. Christie-Davies saw a right-footed shot saved and Brandon Taylor blocked from Maddox before Talbot made an excellent double save to keep out Maddox from close range.
Edwards will have wanted an early goal after the restart to strengthen his side’s position in the contest but Maddox failed to hit the target following good combination play between Christie-Davies and James down the right.
As the storm clouds drifted across the training ground, the tide of the game shifted in favour of the Black Cats. Bulka produced a super low save down to his left to push away Embleton’s bending effort but the Polish stopper could do absolutely nothing to keep out the equaliser with 18 minutes remaining.

A short corner found its way out to Beadling on the left of the box and the defender crashed his strike into the top corner via the angle of post and crossbar.

After coming from behind in the first half, the hosts had to muster a comeback once again. Clarke-Salter’s header deflected wide after a Muheim corner from the right before the Swiss youth international had a chance of his own, created by substitute Harvey St Clair, but fired into the side netting.
Muheim then glanced a header off-target and Hudson-Odoi’s mazy run was stopped in its tracks as the home side ran out of time and were forced to share the league points, leaving them fourth in the PL2 Division 1 table. The development squad return to action at home to Manchester United on Monday 18 September. Before then, our Under-19s face their counterparts from Qarabag in their return to the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday.

Chelsea (3-4-3) Marcin Bulka; Trevoh Chalobah (Harvey St Clair 68), Richard Nartey, Jake Clarke-Salter; Reece James, Ruben Sammut (Ethan Ampadu 80), Charly Musonda (c), Josh Grant; Jacob Maddox (Callum Hudson-Odoi 62), Miro Muheim, Isaac Christie-Davies
Unused subs James Russell, Luke McCormick
Scorers James 29; Grant 33
Booked Nartey

Sunderland James Talbot, Owen Gamble, Denver Hume, Adam Bale, Brandon Taylor, Thomas Beadling (c), Joel Asoro (Luke Molyneux 68), Ethan Robson, Andrew Nelson (Jack Diamond 90+2), Elliot Embleton, Rees Greenwood
Unused subs Alex Storey, Michel Woud, Chris Allan
Scorers Robson 25; Beadling 72
Booked Hume

Referee Mr A Woolmer

Highlights Video