Chelsea gets their Benitez breakthrough at Sunderland

Chelsea had not won a league match since Oct. 20, and although some people will note today’s 3-1 win was only against struggling Sunderland, the Blues have managed to drop points against other teams they should have been over the last seven weeks. Today’s performance was a good one, and with an 11th minutes open play goal from Fernando Torres getting the team off them off the mark, the Blues finally have reason to think things are going in the right direction.

It was their second straight plus performance, though everybody expected them to take care of business mid-week against Nordsjaelland. That they almost went down to them in the first half (conceding a penalty with the score 0-0) underscored how these slups feed on themselves. No, the Danish champions had no business winning at Stamford Bridge, but as bad as the Blues have been struggling this fall, the hosts were ready to bring the result into play.

Since Petr Cech’s save of that penalty kick, Chelsea’s outscored their opponents 9-2. Today they got a second goal from Torres — scoring from the spot in first half stoppage time — before Juan Mata’s 49th minute insurance goal (set up by Torres) put the match away. Adam Johnson’s 66th minute goal rounded out the scoring.

It does seem Rafa Benítez may have some things working. Fernando Torres was very good today, and given the striker’s history with the former Liverpool boss, it’s likely Benítez is contributing to that. Torres now has four goals in as many games under Benítez. Victor Moses seems to be a permanent fixture in the midfield’s attacking three, though Oscar did come on early today for an injured Oriel Romeu. Despite the tweaks in attack, the defense continues to post decent results.

The caveat, of course, it that it’s only Sunderland, who for some time has played as bad as anybody in the league. But everybody has to play the Black Cats, which means everybody will have their chance to correct course should they meet Sunderland in a slump. Chelsea took advantage of the opportunity and now, as they head to Japan, have a chance to consolidate momentum. They’ll face Ulsan or Monterrey before a likely matchup with Corinthians then return to England to face Aston Villa and Norwich City. By the time the Blues visit Goodison Park on Dec. 30, they could be in a purple patch.

The way the Premier League is developing, that momentum may only go to a fight for third place. Seven matches without a win may be too much to stay in this title race, but for a team that finished sixth last year, that would be notable improvement. And with Tottenham, Arsenal, and Everton all likely to contest the league’s last two Champions League spots, Chelsea won’t be able to cruise back into Europe.

But after snapping a seven-game winless run in league, Chelsea can be afforded a moment to reflect on the present. The worst may be behind them.