Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink was blown away by the red and white army after they inspired Sunderland to a dramatic comeback at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats twice fell behind as the Blues punished defensive lapses with Wahbi Khazri’s crowning moment of the campaign ensuring they remained within touching distance at the break.
However, the second period well and truly belonged to Sunderland who, roared on by a sell-out support, dragged themselves off the canvas and secured a massive three points thanks to goals from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe.
And while Hiddink admitted that while Chelsea were made to pay for missed chances, he paid tribute to the Sunderland players and fans who never stopped believing.
"First half and part of the second half they were a bit shaky waiting for the kill. We didn't do that though.
"They were very well supported by their crowd to help make the win, this was a huge win for them."
He continued: "We played very well but by not scoring our chances we then invited them into the game.
"We reacted to make it 2-1 but the second half we also had two or three open chances and didn't take them and they got new energy.”
