Underdog spirit crucial for Poyet

Chelsea 1 Sunderland 2

Even before the 5.30pm kick-off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a win for the visitors would not have lifted them off the foot of the Premier League table and then, when Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring after 12 minutes, it looked like the Champions League semi-finalists had the relegation certainties pinned down ready to be mauled.

But goals from Connor Wickham and Fabio Borini, the former Chelsea striker ironically now owned by Liverpool who may have been gifted the title thanks to his late penalty, spun the relegation battle on it’s head with Poyet’s team now three points from safety. Cardiff await the Tyneside club but Poyet fears his side will struggle at the seemingly easier challenge than the previous two against matches versus a pair of the world’s richest sides.

“It’s probably because we accept that we are the smallest team, we know we are,” the former Chelsea midfielder now in charge at the Stadium of Light said.

“We play Cardiff next week but how are we going to convince the world that we are the smallest team against Cardiff? You tell me because I have no chance.

“Everyone will expect us to beat Cardiff next week so that means that you are the better team, but are we?

“I think the way we play and the way we defend, we play better when we know that the opposition is better than us, dramatically better than us. It gives us a way to accept that we need to do certain things on the pitch and when you play against a team around you, you have to change completely because people expect you to take the game to them and take the initiative and in those situations we have been struggling.”

After taking four points from their last two matches against all the odds, Sunderland now have an attractive set of fixtures remaining; A visit from the Welsh club first, a trip to Manchester United for whom a win will only enhance their chances of securing a place in the dreaded Europa League next season, followed by two home ties against West Brom and Swansea respectively. For most sides struggling in the top flight that schedule would look more than inviting but it strikes fear into the Uruguayan as he believes the mental block that cripples his side in fixtures against lesser teams will affect his men once more.

“I think mentality is the key thing in any sport. Fitness wise we are similar, technically the ones who get paid the most are the best technically and, as long as you have a decent manager, who are going to be organised,” he said.

“You can make a few mistakes picking the team but, at the end, the strongest team mentally is the one that goes on and wins the games. ”

Poyet believes the grit and courage his side has shown by standing their ground against some of the Premier league bully boys should earn them survival.

“If we don’t stay up now it will be a shame,” he said. “Because on Wednesday at 5pm we were dead. Then we got a point against Manchester City, when it should have been three, and then we got a win at Chelsea that has given us great belief and a great opportunity to stay up.

“It’s difficult, incredible and heatbreaking but at the same tim it’s a pleasure to be involved in the Premier League so I am not going to hide, we are going to fight to the end.”

CHELSEA: Schwarzer 5, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Azpilicueta 5, Ramires 4, Matic 6, Salah 5 (Schurrle 66, 4), Oscar 5 (Ba 59, 4), Willian 7, Eto’o 6 (Torres 74, 5).

SUNDERLAND: Mannone 8, Vergini 5, O’Shea 8, Brown 8, Alonso 6, Cattermole 7, Johnson 6 (Giaccherini 66, 6), Larsson 7 (Celustka 90, 5), Colback 7, Borini 8, Wickham 7 (Altidore 66, 7).

Referee: Mike Dean.