Prediction: Sunderland vs Chelsea



Verdict: Sunderland +1.5 Asian handicap

Best Odds: 49/50

Bookmaker: bet365

Sunderland remained at the Premiership rock bottom as they were soundly beaten by relegation rivals Swansea City, and the Black Cats are not in for another very difficult match. The next side to arrive at the Stadium of Light is league leaders Chelsea, who are after their ninth consecutive Premiership triumph.

Sunderland

Sunderland have been involved in the Premier League relegation tussle for several years now, and they somehow always managed to survive. Until few weeks ago, it looked as though this will be the season when the Black Cats finally go down, but David Moyes and his charges have succeeded in getting their campaign back on track. Sunderland recorded three wins in four league fixtures to seriously improve their survival hopes, but then succumbed to a 3-0 loss to relegation rivals Swansea, which could prove costly. In all fairness, the Black Cats performed well in the first period and they conceded the first goal from a dubious penalty, while they also missed several good opportunities to score. It is clear that David Moyes’ men need to be more ruthless in front of goal, especially in matches against fellow relegation strugglers, but seeing as how they now sit mere two points adrift of safety, Sunderland have reason to hope for a successful season. The problem is that they are now set to face red-hot Chelsea, who have been relentless over the last couple of months, winning nine successive Premier League games. The Black Cats managed to beat Chelsea 3-2 last time out, but that was back when the Blues were in all sorts of problems, which is no longer the case.

Team News

Manager David Moyes faces a genuine selection headache with Duncan Watmore out for the season and Lee Cattermole, Jack Rodwell, Paddy McNair and Lynden Gooch all out injured.

The good news is that Fabio Borini is back in contention after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and he could make his first appearance since August.



Chelsea

While we had always expected Chelsea to progress under Antonio Conte, nobody could really predict that the Blues would be so impressive this season. The poor run of results in the opening exchanges proved a blessing in disguise as it persuaded the Italian manager to switch to three at the back and the 3-4-3 formation has since worked like a charm. Chelsea went on to win nine straight Premier League fixtures, climbing to the league summit and they are now three and six points clear of Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. Back to back wins over title rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City could go a long way, and the good news is that the Blues will mostly face bottom-table sides between now and the end of the year. Chelsea were not exactly at their best in the 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, which could suggest their form has dropped slightly of late, and it is important to note that three of their last four victories were achieved by the narrowest of margins. And with Sunderland showing a great deal of improvement of late, don’t expect the Blues to record a landslide triumph at the Stadium of Light.

Team News

John Terry continues to miss out through a muscle problem, while Oscar and Marco van Ginkel are sidelined as well.

Kurt Zouma has been stepping up his recovery from injury, but the lack of match fitness will prevent him from facing Sunderland.

Key Factors to Consider

• Chelsea suffered a 3-2 loss in their last fixture at Stadium of Light
• The Blues won three of last four games by a single-goal margin
• Chelsea have nine successive Premiership victories
• Two of Chelsea’s last three wins at Stadium of Light were recorded by one-goal margin
• Sunderland won last two home games

Conclusion

Sunderland have improved a lot of late and two successive wins at home are enough to suggest Chelsea will not have an easy job on Wednesday evening. The Blues have suffered a slight dip in form, so we seriously doubt they will enjoy a big win at the Stadium of Light.

Verdict: Sunderland +1.5 Asian handicap

Best Odds: 49/50

Bookmaker: bet365