Chelsea were on top and dominant for much of this game, but Sunderland's stubborn habit of defending with all 11 players within 30 yards of their own goal repeatedly crowded us out of the box before we could pull the trigger or create space for a clear chance.

Things initially started well for the Blues, when Pedro Neto released Alejandro Garnacho to score his first goal for Chelsea and fire us into the lead, inside the first five minutes. We continued to threaten after that opener, but things changed midway through the first half.

A scrappy long-throw took a couple of lucky ricochets in our box, allowing Wilson Isidor to equalise for Sunderland from close range, and that is when the Mackems began to shut up shop.

There were a couple of glimpses of goal in the second half, but nothing which stretched Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs, and deep into added time Chemsdine Talbi struck on the counter to give the visitors the win.

The selection

Maresca made several changes to his starting XI for the midweek UEFA Champions League win over Ajax, but many of those who didn't feature against the Dutch side returned this afternoon. Robert Sanchez started in goal, protected by a back four of captain Reece James, Josh Acheampong, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo remained in midfield, while Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro and Alejandro Garnacho returned to the attack. Marc Guiu spearheaded the front line.

Flying out of the blocks

Sunderland looked intent to push forward from the first whistle, but we dealt with the early balls towards our box comfortably and by the fifth minute any hopes the visitors may have had of taking the initiative at Stamford Bridge were well and truly dashed.

In a lightning-quick move, a Sunderland attempt to break forward was turned into an opening goal for Chelsea. Fernandez showed great timing of his challenge to dispossess Reinildo Mandava as he tried to carry the ball into the Blues half.

Neto picked it up and slid a lovely pass into Garnacho’s path, and from there the Argentine did the rest. A little pause and shimmy to his left to make space, followed by a shot drilled low through the legs of goalkeeper Roefs, and Chelsea were ahead.

We weren’t content with just the one goal, though, as we continued to push up the pitch. Guiu came tantalisingly close to nicking the ball off Dan Ballard in the Sunderland box, and Cucurella couldn’t quite get enough on a low cross to trouble the keeper, but we were stamping our authority on this game quickly.

We maintained that pressure, with Cucurella having a shot charged down in a scramble following a corner, then Caicedo’s spectacular half-volley was deflected wide. But at the 15-minute mark it was all Chelsea.

Our left flank was looking like an increasingly promising area going forward. Cucurella was pushing high and narrow, causing a threat himself but also pinning back former Chelsea winger Bertrand Traore, and creating plenty of space out wide for Garnacho to attack.

Back level

However, having posed little threat since the opening stages, Sunderland scrambled in an equaliser midway through the first half. It came from a set-piece, a throw from the corner dropped just short of the front post and flicked on. It broke kindly for Traore in the box and, when Joao Pedro attempted to block, he could only divert it towards Isidor to sweep in from four yards out.

That seemed to level the playing field as well as the scores, as the game remained pretty evenly balanced for the remainder of the first half, with little in the way of action in either box.

The closest we came to changing that was when a brilliant sliding challenge high up the pitch by Caicedo released Joao Pedro into the box. However, he unsuccessfully tried to tee up a team-mate for a tap in instead of going for goal himself, and then the offside flag was raised to show it wouldn’t have counted anyway.

Stuck in a stalemate

Garnacho had an effort well saved from a corner, but other than that neither side really managed to threaten again before the break. The half ended with every outfield player within 35 yards of the Sunderland goal, but it remained 1-1 as the teams made their way back down the tunnel.

It was an evenly contested opening to the second half but set-pieces remained the must likely source of a third goal in this game for either team. Neither goalkeeper was really troubled initially, although it momentarily looked like Cucurella was going to get on the end of a James free-kick whipped in from the right, only for Sunderland to hack it clear.

Maresca introduced the youthful energy of Estevao Willian from the bench in an attempt to force an opening for the Blues. It showed promise straight away, as he seized on a loose ball in the box. It may have been deflected wide, but it was a sign of intent which instantly lifted the crowd, as a loud roar urging the team on spread around the stadium.

Fernandez instinctively flicked a volley towards goal from Caicedo's curled ball into the box, but Roefs was able to claim comfortably, and that about summed up this period of the game. A lot of effort, particularly from the Blues, but Sunderland's packed defence and extremely low block was just leaving little room in which to create a clear chance.

Late blow

We kept pushing throughout the second half, but the Sunderland penalty area was just too packed and the defending too stubborn for us to lever an opening, despite our efforts. Instead, completely against the way the second half had gone, it was the visitors who snatched a late win.

Three minutes into the six of added time, with the Blues pushing forward in search of a goal, we were caught out by a hopeful long-ball forward. Brian Brobbey managed to get onto the end of it and hold it just inside our box until support arrived, in the form of Chemsdine Talbi, to place his finish into the bottom corner and deny Chelsea a share of the points.

What is next

We switch attention to the Carabao Cup for a midweek trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, kicking off at 7.45pm on Wednesday evening. That is followed by a big Premier League derby, away at Tottenham Hotspur, at 5.30pm next Saturday.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James (c), Acheampong (Tosin 76), Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto (George 85), Joao Pedro (Santos 85), Garnacho (Estevao 58); Guiu (Gittens 76)
Unused subs: Jorgensen, Fofana, Hato, Lavia
Scorer: Garnacho 4
Booked: Santos 89

Sunderland (5-4-1): Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Geertruida, Mandava; Traore (Talbi 66), Sadiki, Xhaka (c), Le Fee (Rigg 75); Isidor (Brobbey 75)
Unused subs: Patterson, Neil, Mayenda, O’Nien, Masuaka, Jones
Scorers: Isidor 22, Talbi 90+3
Booked: Le Fee 69

Referee: Andy Madley