Chelsea Vs Sunderland Official Sunderland Not606 Match Thread please log in to view this image Chelsea could return to the Premier League summit and thwart Sunderland's bid to avoid relegation when they meet at Stamford Bridge in Saturday Night Football. Jose Mourinho's side remain within striking distance of Liverpool at the head of the table following their 1-0 victory over Swansea last Sunday, courtesy of Demba Ba's second goal in as many games. Since losing to Crystal Palace, Chelsea have gone on to record back-to-back top-flight victories to remain within two points of the league leaders. Match Appointments REFEREE: Mike Dean ASST. REF. 1: J Collin ASST. REF. 2: S Burt 4TH OFFICIAL: P Dowd Chelsea Team News Chelsea manager Mourinho is unlikely to risk Eden Hazard with trips to face Atletico Madrid and Liverpool on the horizon. It is unclear, though, whether Ba will be given the chance to build on his two match-winning goals, or be rested for the trip to Spain, with Samuel Eto'o, who has been preferred in home games this term, recalled. Due to Branislav Ivanovic's continental suspension, Ashley Cole will be required against Atletico and Mourinho may see the visit of Sunderland as an opportunity to give the out-of-favour left-back a run out. Sunderland Team News Sunderland boss Poyet has suspensions and injuries to contend with ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge. First-team regular Phil Bardsley continues to serve a ban and so Santiago Vergini will be retained at right-back, should Carlos Cuellar not pass a late fitness test on a muscle strain. Ki Sung-Yueng, Steven Fletcher and Keiren Westwood remain sidelined so Jack Colback, who along with Bardsley has been tipped to leave the Stadium of Light in the summer, should start again in midfield. Head to Head please log in to view this image EPL Form please log in to view this image This Seasons Reverse Fixture please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Last Corresponding Fixture please log in to view this image What the 'Experts' Say please log in to view this image Lawrenson Sunderland got an excellent result at Manchester City on Wednesday night and might have got even more than a draw. A point does not really help them much in their situation, but the way they got it will be a big lift. Chelsea, meanwhile, got a good win at Swansea last weekend. Jose Mourinho's side did not play well but that does not really matter at this stage of the season. Similarly, all that matters this weekend is that they win again and stay in touch with leaders Liverpool to give themselves an opportunity of changing things at the top of the table at Anfield on 27 April. Mourinho also has the first leg of his side's Champions League semi-final with Atletico Madrid to think about next week. He has been very quiet in the last few days - he has not been giving pre-match news conferences, or giving out any sound bites. Instead, he will have had his head down preparing for what is a critical week in his side's season. Mourinho might mix his team up because of the Atletico game but I think they will go into that period on the back of a win. Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Merson I think it's a big advantage for Chelsea playing first. If Chelsea win they go top which is a psychological blow to Liverpool. Sunderland have to win, a draw isn't any good. They're a bag of Revels. One minute they're alright - they were unlucky at Man City - then you watch them at Tottenham. They're not going to Chelsea and scoring two goals. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Stats n Facts Chelsea have kept clean sheets in each of their last six Premier League home games. The club's record run is nine, set in November 2010. The Black Cats have failed to score in six of their last nine Barclays Premier League games at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard needs four goals in Chelsea's last four games to become the first player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals in 11 consecutive seasons. Lee Cattermole has scored one Premier League goal for every 66.8 fouls he has conceded. Betting please log in to view this image Links http://www.chelseafc.com/getting-to-stamford-bridge http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/ http://www.thetrainline.com/ Streaming http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=253551&part=sports
Anyone else going to this one? I'm looking forward to it, just hope the Sunderland that showed up vs City turn up and not the one vs Spurs!
Chelsea fan here. I think Hazard might make the bench. Ivanovic, Matic and Salah will all start plus maybe Lampard. Agree Cole should start to get a run out ahead of the game in Spain. My line-up would be Cech Ivanovic - Cahill - Terry - Cole Lampard - Matic Schurrle - Ramires - Salah Eto'o With Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Luiz, Azpilicueta, Torres/Ba and Schwarzer on the bench I think we will win, we are defensively solid and will probably try to kill the game early. Although if we play like we did against Swansea and you play like you did against City then an upset could be on the cards.
Hopefully we're able to stop you scoring early on, the longer it goes the more open it would be for us on the counter and the more anxious your fans will become
gotta funny feeling about this again [video=youtube;n4oh5D_z1xw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4oh5D_z1xw[/video]
Ive said that it would be typical Sunderland to give us some daft hope of survival and that result at city has done it. Its head vs heart again. We are always **** on sky and lose so my head tells me we'll get battered. My heart says otherwise and sees us smashing Moirinho's record to smithereens. Had this recuring thought of borini being brought down by cech in the box, he scores the penalty and we hold on to 1-0 against ten men. Mourinho is sent to the stands enraged at what is playing out in front of him. The away fans roar a defiant 'we are staying up' as the referee's whistle blows.
Gus Poyet could name an unchanged side for only the second time in his tenure as Sunderland head to Chelsea this evening. The Black Cats boss is keen on stability and would prefer to keep changes to a minimum. Injuries, suspensions and Sunderland’s cup runs have meant unchanged sides have been a rarity - the last time Poyet named the same starting XI for two successive games being in February for the fixtures against Newcastle and Hull City. Prior to that, the only other occasion was in November when he played the same side in matches against Man City and Stoke. However, after an excellent display in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad in midweek, Poyet could opt to stick with the same side at Stamford Bridge. He said: “If I could I would have a settled side and rarely change it. “You have a squad system and you have to make full use of that, but generally you would hardly make any changes from game to game. “You would want hardly any changes because hopefully that side would be winning and therefore difficult to change. “When players play, it is because they deserve to play. “
2 hours ago · @SAFCsource · 11h Steve Holland (Chelsea coach): Eden Hazard won’t be fit for tomorrow, but everyone else trained today, so we’re not in bad shape.
