Sunderland Vs Chelsea Official Sunderland Not606 Match Thread please log in to view this image Stadium Of Light please log in to view this image Match Apointments please log in to view this image Sunderland Team News Sunderland midfielder Ricky Alvarez could make his first appearance since September after returning to training following a knee injury. Sebastian Coates is also back in contention after a calf problem, but Emanuele Giaccherini, Billy Jones and Patrick van Aanholt are all still out. Chelsea Team News Chelsea striker Diego Costa is fit despite being substituted in midweek as a precaution following a knock. Defender Nathan Ake remains out with a hamstring injury. Key Men please log in to view this image Sunderland – Sebastian Larsson Larsson has been one of Sunderland’s better players this season. The midfielder has been one of the club’s most consistent players and if they win, it is likely that he has been a contributing factor. The midfielder has appeared in all 12 of Sunderland’s league games this season and has scored two goals of his own in that time. From nine attempted shots at goal, Larsson has been able to average a 56% shot accuracy. He has also managed to create 25 chances for his team mates, although only two of these have resulted in assists. He has attempted 441 passes in total with 370 of them finding a team mate, meaning he has a passing accuracy of 84% so far this season. However, he has only been able to win 42% of his duels and this is something he will have to work on in preparation for taking on Chelsea’s midfield. Chelsea – Cesc Fabregas Chelsea have been the Premier League’s best team so far this season and this is in no small amount down to the presence of the league’s best player, Cesc Fabregas. He has played in all 12 of Chelsea’s league games this season and has played a major part in Chelsea’s goal scoring. While he has only scored one league goal of his own, he has created 37 chances for his team mates that have resulted in 10 assists for him so far. The Spaniard has attempted just over 1000 passes in the league and has completed 896 of them, meaning he has an accuracy of 90% when it comes to passing. However, he has been less successful than his Sunderland counterpart when it comes to duels, winning just 39% of them. That being said, Sunderland’s defence will have to make sure they have a plan to stop Fabregas taking control if they are to stand any chance of winning the game. 3 Key Battles 1) John O’Shea vs Diego Costa Diego Costa’s goal against West Brom last week brought his total to 11 for the season, a figure that cements his place near the top of the Premier League scoring charts, sitting in second just behind Manchester City‘s Sergio Aguero. Costa is now fully fit after recovering from various injuries, and looks sharp and in imperious form. So far this season, thanks to the creativity within the Chelsea ranks, The Spaniard has been provided with constant opportunities to score, and has given Mourinho’s men a reliable source of goals. He will face the experienced former Manchester United defender John O’Shea tomorrow; the Sunderland captain has faced several European heavyweights during his time in England’s top flight, and will be no stranger to the threats and challenges possessed by the confident looking Costa. The UEFA team of the year nominee has bullied opposing defenders so far this season, but it will be much different tomorrow against O’Shea. The 33-year-old himself is a resilient and physical opponent who will not be terrorised and intimidated as easily as other Premier League defenders. 2) Lee Cattermole vs Cesc Fabregas Champions League - "Schalke 04 v Chelsea"Cesc Fabregas certainly caught the eye, from a Chelsea point-of-view, during the mid-week rout over Schalke, playing a key role in the victory by pulling the strings within midfield. Come tomorrow, Fabregas will be up against Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole; an old-fashioned, aggressive midfield player who has carved a reputation for himself as being a tough hostile opponent, and one not to back out of a 50:50 tackle, as we saw last week at Leicester. Cattermole is also a very energetic player who rapidly closes opponents down, reducing passing angles which result in opposing passes going backwards or sideways. Fabregas will have his work cut out trying make space and break free from the terrier like 26-year-old, who will not give him a moment’s peace. But having played in the Premier League previously, the Spaniard will be aware of the threat possessed by a player of Cattermole’s ilk, and has already demonstrated that his touch, passing and vision are up to the task. 3) Steven Fletcher vs Gary Cahill Excluding the season’s surprise package Southampton, Chelsea boast the best defence in the Premier League; they have only shipped 11 goals all season. The defensive unit of the team has been very stable and consistent in terms of team selection, which has contributed to the impressive form of The Blues’ backline. Amongst that backline, centre back Gary Cahill has stood out; a towering physical defender who has been a model of quality and consistency, the England international has formed an ominous pairing with Chelsea skipper John Terry, and the duo look a real force this season. Leading the line for Sunderland tomorrow is likely to be Scotland international Steven Fletcher, a proven performer during his time in the Premier League and an opponent that will cause one or two problems for Cahill and company. The former Wolves man may not be the most skilful or pacey striker in England’s top flight, but his killer instinct combined with clever movement mean that he’s able to finish a chance when he is found in the right place at the right time. Cahill will have to be on his guard come kick off tomorrow. Stats & Facts Head to Head There have been 53 goals scored in the last 12 Barclays Premier League meetings between these two sides, including 29 in the last six at the Stadium of Light. There have been 12 goals scored in the opening 20 minutes of the last 10 Barclays Premier League games between Chelsea and Sunderland. Cesc Fabregas has scored four goals against Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League, more than he has netted against any other opponent in the competition. Fabregas has scored in three of his four Barclays Premier League matches against the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland are chasing a third successive win against Chelsea in all competitions. However, the Blues are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games at the Stadium of Light, winning the last nine. Another Sunderland defeat would set a Premier League record for consecutive home losses to the same opposition. The last time the Black Cats won a home league match against Chelsea was on 14 October 2000, when Kevin Phillips hit the only goal from the penalty spot. Sunderland Gus Poyet's side have failed to score in five of their last eight Premier League games. Sunderland have won just two of their last 13 Premier League matches (W2, D7, L4). But for their 8-0 defeat at Southampton, the Black Cats would have the joint-second best defence in the top flight (with 11 goals conceded, as opposed to 19). Chealsea Their last league defeat was the 2-1 loss at home to Sunderland in April. Since then they are unbeaten in 15 top-flight matches (W12, D3). The Blues are unbeaten in 19 games this season, winning 15. They have set a club record of 12 matches unbeaten from the start of a top-flight season. They have not kept a Premier League clean sheet away from home since April's 2-0 win at Liverpool. Cesc Fabregas has provided 13 assists in 17 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea. Pre-Match Press Conference http://www.safc.com/news/team-news/2014/november/safsee-pre-chelsea-press-conference Previous Meetings please log in to view this image Last Corresponding Fixture please log in to view this image Form please log in to view this image Betting http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/sunderland-v-chelsea/winner Links http://www.safc.com/fans/visiting-fans Streaming http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=285334&part=sports
--------------Pantilimon---------------- Vergini----Oshea----Brown----Réveillère ---------------Cattermole--------------- Johnson---Larsson---Rodwell---Wickham -----------------Fletcher----------------- Alvarez and Buckley on for last half hour. Jozy or Bridcutt on depending on circumstances
Can only see this going one way. But I hope we attack the buggers hard. Sit back and we're doomed....!
5 reasons safc can beat cfc http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2014-11-28/5-reasons-sunderland-can-beat-chelsea/
Disagree with this, we need to park the bus and hit them with pace, I would play a runner up front to tire out their back line and the maybe send Fletch on for the last 10 minutes. You have to try and think outside the box with a game like this and give The Special One something to think about, just my opinion lets face it, its a long shot whichever way we play. But we are Sunderland so you never know.
Two up front, close them down. Watched Chelsea loads of times at the SOL and we give Terry etc loads of time to build from the back, JT is very good on the ball and picks a pass. Dare I say it, Jozy and Conner put a right shift in and stop this, Fletch on for last 20.
Press them high, press them fast, Attacking teams as good as Chelsea need to be attacked, setting up to defend just plays into their hands.
There absolutely no logical reason to assume that we will get anywhere near them today. Can only say I have a good feeling for taking them on today, so sod tactics, timing, individuals, just one big team effort and we will win. If we score first we will win if they score we will still win.
Me too Funk, can't wait, keep them pushed wide, they have an achilles with wingers and full backs, not too much pace there. Cesc, Hazard, Willhem and Oscar try through the middle most. Maybe, 4-1-3-2 tomorrow Bridcutt Laarson Cattermole Alverez + 2
Chelsea are devastating on the counter, we can't go flying at them and punch ourselves out. The only hope is to defend deep, defend brilliantly and nick a goal from a set piece or a counter
YOU SHALL NOT PASS! Sorry, you shall not win, Chelsea! We will not lose tomorrow. After that City and 'Pool. We're struggling to score, but don't concede much either, if you forget the freak result a few weeks ago. I can see us getting between 3 and 5 points over the next 3 games (please God)!!!
But for their 8-0 defeat at Southampton, the Black Cats would have the joint-second best defence in the top flight (with 11 goals conceded, as opposed to 19). We're tough to beat marra, looking forward to it.
By Raj Mangat (@rajansm29) | Friday, November 28, 2014 Sunderland have the opportunity to end another Chelsea unbeaten run when they host the league leaders at the Stadium of Light, live and exclusive on talkSPORT, Saturday from 5pm. Jose Mourinho's men have looked unstoppable this season, winning 10 of their 12 matches to open up a six-point gap over second-placed Southampton at the top of the table. But the last time the Blues lost in the Premier League was to Sunderland in April and according to results this season, another upset could be on the cards. Take a look at this sequence of results, which shows how competitive the Premier League is... Chelsea 4 Swansea 2 Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Arsenal 1 Manchester United 2 Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Everton 3 Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 0 Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Southampton 2 Leicester City 1 Stoke City 0 Leicester City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1 Stoke City 2 West Ham United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 1 West Ham United 2 Manchester City 1 Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 West Bromwich Albion 0 Newcastle United 2 West Bromwich Albion 4 Burnley 0 Burnley 1 Hull City 0 QPR 0 Hull City 1 QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Sunderland ? Chelsea ? Despite being in 14th place heading into the weekend, the Black Cats can take confidence from becoming the first side to inflict defeat on Mourinho in 78 games at Stamford Bridge last season and shocking Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the League Cup. Can they complete the remarkable sequence of results above by beating Chelsea?
Pessimists...some of yous. Yeh...there's a fear we maybe be overwhelmed by a top class Chelski side. But.....who remembers?.....Dec 1999? I arrived from Thailand to UK 5 Dec, and bought a half-season ticket. Game at SOL vs Chelski (10 Dec, was it?), and we beat them (4-1 was it?). 2 Super-Kev goals. Brill. We can do it again (???) ... effing hope so: they're gonna fail s/time - and hope it's today! Comm over here. Game on 00:30 Sunday !!! A long wait. Get some Leo's down me neck, sleep.....and cheer on The Lads. Enjoy, guys. Sing loud, sing it hard.
Yr post before mine, WMS, was timely....tho' hadn't read it. We can do it ! (A shock to repair the 0-8 Soton shock).
