30/11/2002  Chelsea 3 Sunderland 0
 
Chelsea's French centre-backs William Gallas and Marcel 
Desailly brought a touch of sunshine to gloomy West London in 
November with the goals that broke down Howard Wilkinson's 
latest attempt to earn Sunderland a point with siege mentality 
tactics.

Gallas, the stylish defender who has been winning rave 
reviews for both club and country after joining his older 
compatriot from the French national team this season, showed a 
spectacular striker's touch to brighten up the Kings Road.

And it was entirely appropriate after Desailly added a 
second goal five minutes from time that the fans left The 
Bridge dancing to the old Morecambe and Wise jingle of "Bring 
Me Sunshine".

Wilkinson's bore team had scored just four goals in seven 
Premiership games since he replaced Peter Reid as manager but 
they have also secured vital points with a victory over Spurs 
and draws at both Bolton and, most significantly, 
Liverpool.

Chelsea had to labour for 58 minutes to break down another 
backs-to-the-wall rear guard action similar to the one which 
almost induced sleep on the Kop at Anfield two weeks ago.

But when Gallas bulged the net with a delicious rising 
volley 12 yards out from Graeme Le Saux's perfect cross the 
sweated effort was all worthwhile.

With Sunderland's resistance completely broken, Desailly 
was unmarked to put away a Le Saux corner five minutes from 
the end and there was just time for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to 
net one of his solo specials and finally end an afternoon of 
personal frustration.

Chelsea climbed to third place in The Premiership with 
their fifth win in an unbeaten seven-match sequence.

To be fair to Sunderland this was not quite the mean, 
negative approach that drove Liverpool to distraction.

They attacked whenever they could and although that was not 
often there was still the opportunities for Kevin Phillips to 
test Carlo Cudicini with a shot in each half, demanding 
athletic responses from the Italian goalkeeper on both 
occasions.

Tore Andre Flo, the lanky Norwegian striker who left 
Chelsea two years ago in a £12 million move to Rangers, 
resurfaced at Stamford Bridge in Sunderland's stripes and put 
a header on top of the net on a rare occasion when he 
out-manoeuvred the stylish Gallas.

Flo scored 50 goals when he was at Chelsea but he will 
labour to get half that many in this Sunderland side even 
though he has managed five so far since returning to the 
Premiership from Scotland.

Chelsea's Dutch striker Hasselbaink also started the day 
with five goals this season, including last week's late saver 
at Bolton. He might have doubled his tally with greater 
concentration and luck in this game.

In the first minute he whipped a searing drive just wide 
from Gianfranco Zola's educated pass and as Zola tormented 
Sunderland with his sparkling footwork the attacks rained 
down, one upon another.

Hasselbaink put a tame header into the arms of goalkeeper 
Jurgen Macho when the impressive Le Saux placed a perfect 
cross right on his forehead.

Mario Melchiot's similar header met the same fate while 
Frank Lampard fired a good chance wide.

But it needed a double substitution, bringing on Emmanuel 
Petit and Eidur Gudjohnsen at the start of the second half, to 
give Chelsea's patient approach work the required edge.

Gallas finally got the show on the road and Hasselbaink and 
a third substitute Mario Stanic forced further brilliant saves 
from the flying Macho before Desailly and then Hasselbaink 
made sure of the points.

Really, though, it was as good as all over when former 
£6.2million former Marseilles star Gallas grabbed his second 
goal of the season.