Sunderland flying high after stunning Chelsea with injury-time Talbi winner

It began so well for Chelsea. They led through Alejandro Garnacho’s first goal for the club and looked set to rise to two points behind Arsenal at the top of the table. They did not reckon with Sunderland’s defiance.

Sunderland have been a wonderful addition to the Premier League this season. This was their best result since coming up. They levelled through Wilson Isidor and celebrated a famous win when the substitute, Chemsdine Talbi, scored the winner in added time.

There were a few boos at full time. There have been not many occasions when Chelsea have suffered without the injured Cole Palmer this season. Yet while they have managed to cope without their most influential attacker in recent weeks, the youngest side in the Premier League certainly could have done with Palmer’s ingenuity when it came to producing a moment of magic to unlock Sunderland’s outstanding defence.

Easily the most impressive of the promoted sides, Sunderland were competitive from the start. They were full of energy, organised at the back and aided by the flexibility of their 5-4-1 system, which allowed the visitors to put numbers behind the ball and then flood midfield through the willingness of their centre-backs to step forward when possession was regained.

Chelsea, who made eight changes to the team that thumped Ajax in the Champions League, struggled to solve the tactical conundrum posed by Régis Le Bris. A fine opening goal from Garnacho, who had a point to prove after being taken off at half-time during last week’s win at Nottingham Forest, was not a sign of things to come during an even first half. Instead Sunderland warmed to their task, Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki working hard to stifle Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández in midfield, and nobody could argue that they were fortunate to be back on level terms after 22 minutes.

Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea scores the opening goal, his first for the club. Photograph: Alex Broadway/Getty Images

The visitors responded well to going behind. It had seemed a long afternoon was in store for Sunderland when Chelsea’s wingers combined to devastating effect in the fourth minute. There was a surge out of defence from Pedro Neto to spark a counterattack down the right and when the ball was played to the opposite flank Garnacho had room to drive at Nordi Mukiele, swerve outside and slam a low shot through Robin Roefs for his first goal since joining from Manchester United for £40m.

Yet Chelsea did not inject enough intensity into their efforts to push on. They had a new configuration in attack, João Pedro’s deployment as a No 10 allowing Marc Guiu to make his first league start since signing from Barcelona last year, but it was a work in progress. Guiu, who was recalled from a brief loan spell at Sunderland after Chelsea lost Liam Delap to injury and loaned Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich at the end of the transfer window, found it difficult to escape robust attention from Dan Ballard and Lutsharel Geertruida.

Isidor was more effective for Sunderland at the other end. His hold-up play caused problems and was in the right place to make it 1-1. Enzo Maresca, immune to the charms of English football’s new embrace of getting it launched, looked on in frustration as Chelsea’s failure to deal with a long throw from Mukiele led to Isidor, played onside by Josh Acheampong, turning in a shot from Bertrand Traoré.

Chelsea were in a contest. Isidor, now with the bit between his teeth, thrashed a shot just wide. Chelsea had to up the tempo. Trai Hume cleared off the line from Garnacho but the hosts had grown ponderous as half-time approached.

There was no improvement at the start of the second half. Garnacho had faded after a bright start. The Argentinian’s final act before being replaced by Estêvão Willian was to send a wild shot high and wide.

Estêvão, unfortunate to be dropped after starring against Ajax, brought more excitement from the right. Still, though, Sunderland remained resolute. They compressed the space and forced Chelsea to rely on deep crosses. João Pedro, who has not scored since August, was quiet. Guiu looked tired by the time he made way for Jamie Gittens.

Sunderland were comfortable. Roefs barely had to make a save during the second half. The game ticked into six minutes of added time, with Chelsea still pressing. Then Geertruida won possession and sent a long ball to the substitute, Brian Brobbey. He held the ball up, waited for support and found it from Talbi, who ran forward and threaded a brilliant shot past Robert Sánchez.