Sunderland reached the Championship play-off final on Tuesday night at the expense of Coventry City, and it turns out that a Chelsea legend inspired the dramatic late moment.
Dan Ballard was the Sunderland hero because he scored in the 122nd minute during extra time to level the match at 1-1 on the night and secure a 3-2 aggregate win over Coventry in the Championship play-off semi-final tie.
Sunderland’s victory over two legs means they’ll face Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium in the play-off final on 24 May, with the winner promoted to the Premier League.
From a Chelsea perspective, Blues fans may have been rooting for Coventry in the play-offs, who are managed by Stamford Bridge icon Frank Lampard.
Chelsea fan Jack Rudoni fired Coventry into the play-offs on the final day of the Championship league season, but they’ve just fallen short in dramatic fashion against Sunderland.
We fought to the very end.
You stuck with us beyond even that.
We will regroup and go again.
This is a City rejuvenated and on the rise.
TOGETHER. 🩵 pic.twitter.com/CWgEPzagzv
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) May 13, 2025
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Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Dan Ballard took inspiration from Didier Drogba for Sunderland goal
It was Ballard’s last-gasp header from a corner that booked Sunderland’s place in the play-off final.
In his post-match interview, the Black Cats central defender explained that he took inspiration from Didier Drogba’s headed goal when Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League.
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Ballard told CBS Sports: “I was thinking Didier Drogba in the Champions League final, that’s what I had in my head. Just made the little run off the near post, and it was a great ball in. I jumped far too high. I jumped early. I was so keen to get the ball that I jumped early, stooped down, and I don’t know how it went in. I just heard the noise. It was pandemonium.”
Chelsea supporters will remember vividly Drogba’s late header against Bayern to level the Champions League final nearly 13 years ago. Eventually, the Blues legend went on and scored the winning spot-kick after the match went to a penalty shootout.
Callum Hudson-Odoi once hailed Didier Drogba by saying his heroics in Munich gave him his most inspiring sporting moment.
Even after more than a decade, Drogba’s bullet header at the front post is still inspiring players.
Photo by Ben Radford/Corbis via Getty Images
Photo by Ben Radford/Corbis via Getty Images
Chelsea could sign their next Didier Drogba
It’s been a thankless task for Chelsea trying to find an individual to fill the shoes of Drogba. Apart from Diego Costa, nobody has come close.
However, Napoli-owned striker Victor Osimhen, who’s impressing on loan at Galatasaray, could be just what the Blues need in attack.
It’s been reported that Victor Osimhen has given the green light to join Chelsea in the summer transfer window, but the club now needs to find a way to match his salary demands.
In 38 Galatasaray appearances this season, Osimhen has scored 33 goals. We’re confident the 26-year-old centre-forward is exactly the type of clinical goalscorer required at Chelsea, so the club should go all out to bring him to West London.