When SuperKev beat the Blues
We delve deep into one of Sunderland’s greatest games - by speaking to the players at the heart of it.
Peter Reid’s Sunderland welcome a star-studded Chelsea to the Stadium of Light.
The result lives long in the memory on Wearside, and we spoke to Paul Thirlwell, Darren Williams and Eric Roy to get the inside story of a fixture which has since been dubbed the ‘Chelsea massacre’.
SETTING THE SCENE
This was a Sunderland side starting to hit its stride under Reid, with Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn in full flow.
Chelsea, in contrast, were already a well-established Premier ship force under G ian lu ca Vialla, and eyeing a maiden title.
Indeed, the Blues had already inflicted a 4-0 defeat on Sunderland on the opening day of the season, and the Black Cats were without regulars Kevin Ball, SteveBould and Alex Rae.
In came a number of unproven players.
“It was my Premier League debut,” says Thirlwell.
“I’d just come back from a loan spell at Swindon where I’ d played 12 games in the Championship and I felt I was ready to be involved in the first team.
“B ally got injured on the Friday,and I got told I was starting.
“I can’t remember how much I slept the night before - but I’m sure it wasn’t much.”
His partner in mid field that day was Eric Roy - a French midfielder who had joined from Marseille only months before.
Whilst a proven quantity in France, this was a new experience for the 31-year-old.
“I arrived three or four months before, and I tried to do my best for a new club, new country and new football - at this time it was very different, English football from French football.
“I tried to improve, understand and to do my best. I’m sure this game was very important for me.”
TEAM NEWS
Sunderland: Sorensen, Ma kin, Williams, Craddock, Gray, Summerbee, Schwarz, Roy, Thirlwell, Quinn, Phillips.
Chelsea: De Goey, Lambourde, Babayaro, Desailly, Hogh,Poy et, Wise, Morris, Harley,Zola,F lo.
Chelsea themselves were without some key men - most notably French international Didier Deschamps.
But this was still a strong side, and one which was preparing to face Roma in the Champions League days later.
“For me it was a special game, because in front of me I had a big international French player in Marcel Desailly,” says Roy.
“Didier Deschamps wasn’t there because he was injured, but he was an important player in the team too.
“We were in a good way at that moment, we had good momentum and we started well .”
THE PERFECT START
That’s something of an understatement.
There were just 45 seconds on the clock when the Black Cats took the lead, with Roy providing what proved the abiding memory of his time in the North East - a superb assist for Quinn. “I remember it’s a run I do. “The ball arrived to me about 30 yards outside the box and I ran and made some dribbles, two-touch between the player, and then I saw Niall in the box.
“I put in the cross, a little cross with my left foot - which is not my best foot!
“It was his first goal, and it was a good start.”
For Thirlwell, it helped settle any debut jitters.
“I was just thinking ‘Jesus, that’s a massive help’. “That made life a bit easier .” “It gave us a massive boost and a massive lift,” adds Williams.
“When Niall put the ball in the back of the net, the crowd reacted.
“All of a sudden they were up for it - and that gave us a massive lift as well.”
QUINN AND PHILLIPS STEAL THE SHOW
It was two after just 24 minutes-Kevin Phillips’ delivering a moment of magic and sending a sumptuous half-volley past Ed De Goey.
“It was incredible ,” says Roy.
“For me - sure, Niall was a fantastic player and goalscorer, and was very important on the pitch and in the team also - but Kev Phillips was the big surprise.
“When I arrived in England I didn’t know him. But when I spoke with people back in France, in Europe-they’ re always asking about Phillips and the Golden Boot.
“Kev, he was maybe the best striker I’ve ever seen in my life. The way he could strike the ball, the goals he scored - and he made a fantastic partnership with Niall.
“When you have two players up front like this, it’s very important and gives a lot of confidence to the team.”
The duo would both have their braces before the break.
“It’s not like they worked tirelessly on the training ground, saying ‘if I do this, you do that’. It just clicked,” adds Thirlwell.
“Kev just seemed to know where to run at the right time and exactly what Quinny was going to do.
“It just caused people no end of problems - and it certainly did that day.”
Quinn would have his second - and Sunderland’s fourth - only moments later. There weren’t even 40 minutes on the clock.
FOUR UP BY HALF-TIME
“I don’t think anybody would have come up with that scoreline,” admits Williams.
“It was surreal, really.”
Sunderland were tearing apart Premier League giants.
The key? That famous dressing room atmosphere cultivated by Reid and Bobby Saxton.
“We did have some fantastic players on paper, but everybodyyou speak to will say it was all about the dressing room and the atmosphere around it ,” says Thirlwell.
“Everybody had that affiliation with the fans and we were tight and united. Along with that came success.”
“We knew the team was down in numbers, but we had confidence in whoever stepped in,” adds Williams.
“We had such good spirit and morale and we fought for each other every day. I think