Premier League: Blues Cannot Underestimate the Mischievous Black Cats

Chelsea vs Sunderland

Chelsea are within arm’s reach of a Top 4 spot in the Premier League, as Enzo Maresca’s men have built momentum in the past few days. After a run of three games without a league win, the Blues are back in business following impressive results against Liverpool (2-1) and Nottingham Forest (3-0). As a result, Chelsea have 14 points, one point adrift of third-seeded Liverpool and fourth-seeded Bournemouth.

The Blues are coming off a 5-1 rout of Ajax in the Champions League last night, so their confidence is at an all-time high when they host Sunderland this Saturday at Stamford Bridge.

Sunderland have raised eyebrows in their return to the English top-flight, as they’re seventh in the standings, level with Chelsea on points. Regis Le Bris’ men won 2-0 against the Wolves last weekend, and unlike the Blues, they have a full week to prepare for this Saturday.

 

Talking Points

Maresca will continue to improvise for Chelsea

Chelsea’s recent unbeaten run is impressive, considering they’ve dealt with a handful of injuries lately. Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, and Benoit Badiashile have been and will continue to be on the sidelines. Blues fans were worried about Enzo Fernandez after he came back hurt following the October international break, but at least he scored against Ajax in last night’s 5-1 Champions League win.

Enzo Maresca returns to the dugout after his one-match touchline ban against Nottingham Forest, and he’s expected to rotate his squad against Sunderland. Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto, and Reece James took the night off against Ajax and could all start this Saturday. Trevoh Chalobah, Tyrique George, Andrey Santos, and Josh Acheampong will also fight for spots in the starting XI after coming off the bench last night.

Besides the constant changes in the rotations, Chelsea must also monitor the goal-scoring form of Joao Pedro. The Brazilian striker hasn’t found the back of the net since the Blues’ 2-0 win against Fulham last August.

 

Isidor is on a dry spell for Sunderland

Sunderland are suddenly eyeing a spot in European football, following their bright start to this season. The Black Cats registered their fourth league victory against the Wolves last Saturday, as Nordi Mukiele opened the scoring and Ladislav Krejci scored an own goal in stoppage time.

Wilson Isidor is the Black Cats’ main threat in the final third, as he is their top scorer with three league goals. However, the Frenchman is without a goal or an assist in his last three appearances, so he has to pick it up to stand a chance against Chelsea. 

Trai Hume and Omar Alderete have also been instrumental in Sunderland’s meteoric rise this season. Hume hit the woodwork and assisted on Mukiele’s opener against the Wolves, highlighting his versatility as a full-back. Alderete has been a steadying presence at centre half for Sunderland, and the Paraguayan international has also shown some quality in the final third, registering one goal and one assist so far this term.

 

History

Saturday marks the 126th encounter between Chelsea and Sunderland. The Blues have the advantage in the overall head-to-heads with 61 victories, whereas the Black Cats have 42 wins and 22 draws. When these two sides last met in the Premier League in 2016-17, Chelsea completed a league double over Sunderland, winning 1-0 at the Stadium of Light and 5-1 at Stamford Bridge. 

Sunderland secured their promotion back to the English top-flight by winning 2-1 against Sheffield United in the play-off final last May. After trailing for the most part, the Black Cats dug deep, and Eliezer Mayenda and Tom Watson scored two late goals to snatch the victory.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have always been in the Premier League for as long as we can remember. The Blues hope to improve on their fourth-place finish last term.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds expect the hosts to claim the three points this Saturday. Chelsea are 1.38 favourites to win, whereas Sunderland are massive 6.60 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.34 in the 1X2 market.

There are still a handful of injuries for both sides. However, Chelsea have a deeper roster and are poised to give Sunderland a reality check. Fans at Stamford Bridge should see some new Premier League 2025 highlights, so besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors can also add Over 2.50 at 1.72, Over 2.75 at 1.92, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.04 to the parlay. Moreover, other Asian Handicap options that favour the Blues include -1.25 at 1.98 and -1.50 at 2.21 (for full time).

   

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