Chelsea are gearing up to face Sunderland in the Premier League this Saturday. Enzo Maresca, Chelsea's manager, has called on his team to maintain their winning momentum. The Blues have been on a roll,
securing four consecutive victories across all competitions. Their recent 5-1 triumph over Ajax in the Champions League and a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League highlight their current form.
Maresca emphasised the importance of taking each match as it comes. "We always say the same, but at the end it's because it's true—we always go game by game," he stated. He acknowledged Sunderland's strong performance this season but stressed Chelsea's determination to prepare with the intention of winning.
Sunderland have made an impressive return to top-flight football. They remain unbeaten at home, securing four wins from eight matches. However, both of their losses occurred away from home. Currently sitting seventh in the league with 14 points, Sunderland have conceded six goals so far.
Regis Le Bris, Sunderland's manager, praised Chelsea's strength and depth. "Chelsea are really strong. It's a top-four team in the Premier League," he said. Le Bris highlighted Chelsea's well-coached squad and individual talent as a significant challenge for his team.
Moises Caicedo has been a standout performer for Chelsea this season. The midfielder has scored in four of Chelsea's 12 matches across all competitions, including against Ajax. Caicedo has been effective defensively too, winning half of his tackles and succeeding in numerous duels.
For Sunderland, Nordi Mukiele has been crucial since joining from Paris Saint-Germain. Mukiele scored his first goal for Sunderland last weekend against Wolves. His defensive prowess is evident with 15 successful tackles out of 20 attempts and winning most of his duels.
Historical Match Insights
Chelsea have dominated recent home encounters with Sunderland, winning their last three meetings at Stamford Bridge by a combined score of 11-3. Historically, between 1996 and 2001, Sunderland won four out of six initial Premier League clashes with Chelsea but have only managed three wins in 26 attempts since then.
The fixture between these two teams is notable for never ending in a draw at Stamford Bridge; Chelsea have won 13 times while Sunderland have claimed victory thrice. This makes it one of the most-played fixtures without a draw in Premier League history.
Current Season Highlights
In terms of home performance this year, only Manchester City have earned more points than Chelsea at home in the Premier League. Chelsea have secured ten wins and three draws at Stamford Bridge, suffering just one defeat to Brighton recently.
Sunderland are enjoying their best start to a top-flight season since 1999-2000, having collected 14 points from their first eight games. They aim to continue this form as they face a challenging test against Chelsea.
As per Opta's win probability model, Chelsea hold a significant advantage with a 74.4% chance of victory against Sunderland's 10.6%, while there is a 15% likelihood of a draw occurring during this encounter at Stamford Bridge.
