Chelsea have looked promising so far this season.
What are the expectations for 2025/2026?
It’s a similar story to last season. We don’t have the consistency to challenge for the league and we don’t have the quality and experience to win the Champions League.
So really, we’re hoping to win a domestic cup and hopefully just give a good account of ourselves in Europe, measuring up against the very best. The Premier League is a lot tougher this year because we can’t just change eleven players for the midweek games.
If we can finish in the top four again and win more games against the better
sides in the league as well as challenging in the Champions League, we can call that progress.
Like Sunderland, Chelsea are known for not being afraid to change managers.
How is Enzo Maresca viewed among the fans and could you see him being there long term?
He’s popular as long as he’s winning, but he’s not building much goodwill beyond the results, frankly. He’s a bit of a spiky character and his football isn’t for everyone.
When things go badly on the pitch, he’s quickly under more pressure than one might expect, because he hasn’t built that relationship with the fans which provides a cushion. As long as he’s making it into the Champions League places every year, he won’t be going anywhere.
The ownership clearly like him and I don’t expect him to ever be under real pressure until the moment the top four is mathematically out of reach. They’re not bothered by the fan sentiment or the football as long as we hit our targets.
Over the past few years, Chelsea have prioritised signing a vast amount of players with potential who can gel together over time.
Are fans starting to feel like that strategy is starting to pay dividends?
It remains very controversial.
Even if it starts to work out economically, it requires selling players who are doing well. That’s never going to be too popular — especially among fans who are used to success without much regard for costs.
The endless turnover of players also makes it hard for fans to make any sort of personal connection with what they’re seeing on the pitch. The squad’s average age keeps going down, which is good for business but not necessarily for winning trophies.
Are we going to see a great team grow together over time, or a conveyor belt of talent bought and sold?
After being a candidate for experiencing the shortest Sunderland loan spell of all time, Marc Guiu scored in the Champions League earlier this week.
How’s he got on since returning to Stamford Bridge?
We’d seen nothing of him until a couple of weeks ago, but suddenly he’s in the mix again.
He’s not the most talented, but having a player to lead the line and make space for João Pedro has proved effective, and despite his training standards being called out by Enzo Maresca this week, I expect he’ll start tomorrow.
Josh Acheampong has recently claimed a place in Chelsea’s starting eleven.
What are his key qualities and do you think he’ll keep his place?
He’s just a brilliant defender. If you had to pick one exceptional attribute, you’d say his ability to travel with the ball — he glides past players and opens up the pitch really nicely.
I’d love to see him start more often, but Maresca is pretty conversative with introducing youngsters (despite the squad’s average age), and it’ll be very gradual, I suspect.
The likes of Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill will all be ahead of him when fit, but he’s improving his standing with every appearance and can expect lots of minutes.
Aside from the two above-mentioned players, who’s impressed you most so far this season that Sunderland will have to be wary of?
Pedro Neto is playing well and got a rest in midweek. He’s so direct and explosive, and works really hard. If Chelsea can get the ball to him in space, he can be a real threat.
And of course, Reece James — who’s now fit and firing — is one of the best players in the league.
If you were Régis Le Bris, which weak spots in the Chelsea team would you look to exploit?
We start games very slowly and nervily.
In our last two matches, against Nottingham Forest and against Ajax, we could’ve gone behind and if Sunderland can be more efficient in front of goal than those sides, they can take advantage of that weakness.
Such a young group can be pretty fragile mentally too — so if you get ahead you put yourself in a good position.
What do you think Maresca’s tactical approach will be?
The same as ever — lots of patient possession and hope to find a goal which opens the game up.
The fact that Guiu is likely to start with João Pedro dropping into a number ten role will hopefully give us more attacking fluidity and provide something harder for Sunderland to deal with.
Are any players missing — and who do you think will start?
Cole Palmer’s absence is the big one, of course, but he’s missed so much of this season that the team has had time to adjust.
Wesley Fofana played ninety minutes in midweek after a while out so might not be ready for more. Garnacho should keep his place ahead of Jamie Gittens and Tosin Adarabioyo is likely to pip Acheampong, but it’s close in both cases.
Off the top of my head: Sanchez, James, Chalobah; Tosin, Cucurella, Caicedo; Enzo, Garnacho, João Pedro; Neto, Guiu.
The other alternative is dropping Garnacho for Roméo Lavia and playing a three-man midfield with João Pedro a little wider.
The last time the two sides met was John Terry’s farewell match back in 2017.
What’s your prediction for the score this time around?
Well, it won’t be 5-1… but if Chelsea get off to a good start for once, we should win.
We’ll say 2-1 to Chelsea.
