Cahill passed a medical on Saturday and watched from Roman Abramovich’s private box at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Andre Villas-Boas’s men beat Sunderland 1-0. However what Chelsea’s latest signing witnessed on Sunday was a nervy win by a team that looks a million miles away from the powerhouse of two seasons ago - when they won the league double under Carlo Ancelotti - and even further away from the impenetrable fortress of the Mourinho era.

Despite an early goal from Frank Lampard - who picked up the ball after it rebounded off the cross bar after an athletic Torres volley - Chelsea never looked like being fully in control of the match. Unable to add to their 1-0 lead - with Torres still frustratingly unable to find the back of the net even after a much improved performance - Sunderland came close with late strikes from Gardner and Bendtner. If Chelsea had conceded after leading a game 1-0 it would have followed a familiar pattern that has been developing this season. All too often The Blues have failed to capitalise on their opening goals and have squandered leads. Lacklustre draws against Wigan, Fulham and a crushing 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa have highlighted Chelsea’s defensive fragilities.

It is this inability to keep a clean sheet that has dampened Chelsea’s league aspirations the most this season. AVB’s side have only managed to keep 5 league clean sheets this season (24% of their games) and have conceded 25 goals. Compared this to the 04/05 season when Mourinho’s Chelsea only let in 15 goals all season (66% clean sheets). There have been some shocking defensive displays from Chelsea this season. Most notably the first half against Manchester United at Old Trafford in September when the Champions knocked in three goals and the clumsy display against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge when the victors clocked up 5 goals (one gifted to Van Persie by a dreadful back pass from John Terry).

Many have blamed Villas-Boas’s tactic to play a high-line of defence that allows opponents to slice through them with well-timed through-balls to be picked up on runs by their strikers. Others have criticised Brazilian centre back David Luiz for his gun-ho approach to defending, that sometimes seemed to see him in the oppositions half more than his own.

For many fan’s, Cahill’s stoic and reliable style of defending will give them some comfort. The 26 year old is a dependable player with a good work rate that has seen him catapulted into the England ranks. And with Michael Essien returning in defensive midfiled, after a six month layoff with a knee injury, perhaps a more cohesive and unassailable defensive unit can start to emerge in the Villas-boas era. Now, if only Torres could start finding the back of the net.

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