Chelsea v Sunderland

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Saturday January 14th Stamford Bridge
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Team News

Florent Malouda is doubtful for Chelsea's Barclays Premier League game against Sunderland. The winger picked up a knock in Sunday's FA Cup win over Portsmouth and failed to train on Wednesday or Thursday. Daniel Sturridge and John Terry have both been passed fit but the game comes a week too soon for Michael Essien (knee), Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel (both hamstring), while Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are on African Nations Cup duty. If Chelsea can complete the signing of Gary Cahill he will not be eligible for the fixture, with the club having missed the player registration deadline.

Nicklas Bendtner could return to the Sunderland squad at the weekend. The Denmark international missed the FA Cup third-round victory over Peterborough because of a knee injury, but is expected to be available for the game at Stamford Bridge. If so, he will be joined in the squad by fellow frontman Fraizer Campbell, who is available for the first time since August 2010 after recovering from a second serious knee problem, but Jack Colback (ankle), Wes Brown (groin) and Titus Bramble (calf/Achilles) remain on the casualty list.

MANAGER QUOTES

Martin O'Neill: We could lose tomorrow (Saturday) and we could drop six places in the league, so it's still very, very tight. What we have been able to do, we have been able to haul ourselves into a pack of teams that I am quite convinced wouldn't be looking in any other direction than over their shoulder. Chelsea will be a difficult game for us, exceptionally difficult. But we are going in with confidence and we will see. If we win the game, it's three extra points for us and if we do that there, that would be fantastic for us, and that's the way I would look at it. Similarly, if we are beaten in the game, I'm hoping that it wouldn't dent confidence so badly that we would fall apart."


MATCH FACTS

Chelsea have won 13 of the last 14 Premier League meetings against Sunderland (W13 L1).

There have been five 90th minute or later goals in the last six Premier League meetings between Chelsea and Sunderland.

Chelsea are the only team who have not conceded a goal from a corner situation this season.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W4 D3 L1).

However, Chelsea have won two of their last six Premier League games at Stamford Bridge W2 D1 L3).

Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 Premier League home games.

Sunderland have earned more points (13) since Martin O’Neill took over in six Premier League games than they managed in the 14 games before he took over this campaign (11).

Martin O’Neill has won just three Premier League games as a manager against Chelsea (W3 D6 L7).

There have been 35 goals netted across the last seven meetings between Chelsea and Sunderland, with at least three goals in each of those games.

Referee Phil Dowd has awarded more penalties than any other referee this season (7).

 

Mackems .

Feeling aprehensive about this one since Mr O'neill took charge.

Let's hope for a goal glut just like this time two years ago

 

Very simple, we should lose but since MON arrived we dont know anymore. You will get a game because he has them fired up and dont epect our strikers to score.

 

Draw written all over it

 

I never expect a win against sides in good form, especially during the season we're having.

I think it'll lack goals so I'll go with a scrappy 2-1 like we did at Wolves!

 

A repeat of last season would give me a boner mate, lol.

 

that would do for me

 

Oh mate don't! I'd just gotten that out of my head!

 

I think we might lose this one, I just have a feeling it might be a really tough game. I hope I am wrong.

 

Billy and his bonner are well known, he is know as Big Billy up here

 

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http://football-talk.co.uk/57531/sunderland-surprise-chelsea/

I expect a similar game as we had with Citeh but I don't expect to win, if we do I shall have a ham shank.

I'd take a draw now, no problem.

 

Got a bad feeling about this game mainly due to O'Neill as villa use to have a great record vs us when he was manager ( a lot of draws ), good thing is they haven't got wellbeck or darren bent anymore and bendtners **** lol, hopefully no wonder goals from larsson and hopefully we can scrape a win, will be a close game though.

 

Not expecting to win but, think we could just nick a draw if we play like we did against City. Still think Chelsea are a class act and it'll be very hard to break them down and score once never mind the 2 or 3 I think it would take to beat them. We haven't conceded more than 2 goals in a game so far this season think that could end tomorrow, little bit of payback for Chelsea after last seasons game and, a little bit of over confidence maybe creeping in from our lot.
MON will have his work cut out for him tomorrow in what will still be a very hard game.

 

Really fancy this one. Don't know why. Just a gut feeling. 2-0 Torres to score,

 

Really hope he scores. Way he's contributing right now, a goal may start off an absolute riot from nando.

 

Hope so Drogs. He's playing well enough. Deserves something to go his way for a change.

 

5-0, 7-2... Chelsea scare me. Then again, I was worrying about our GD taking a battering prior to the City game (it was at 0 then), and look what happened, so who knows...

 

If we get beat its expected, if we get a draw its a bonus, if we get a win I too will be having a J.Arthur.

 

Good news for us is that Maloudas injured and Sturridge is back, hope Maloudas recovery time takes ****ing ages and he breaks his leg in the mean-time then we can win more games this season