Chelsea vs Sunderland Preview: Blues Aim for Fifth Straight Win Against Confident Black Cats

Chelsea welcome newly-promoted Sunderland to Stamford Bridge for their first meeting since 2017. The Black Cats, buoyed by an impressive 2–0 win over Wolves last week, will be hoping to continue their bright start and claim a first victory over the Blues since 2014. Chelsea, meanwhile, are enjoying their best spell of the season and will aim to make it five wins on the bounce.

Régis Le Bris’ side have adapted superbly to Premier League life. With 14 points from their opening eight games, Sunderland sit level with Chelsea and Tottenham a remarkable return for a team fresh from promotion. Much of their early success has come through striker Wilson Isidor, the club’s top scorer with three goals so far.

Le Bris confirmed that defender Omar Alderete will miss out after suffering a concussion, but veteran left-back Reinildo is available again after serving a three-match ban. The French coach praised the Mozambican, saying he has “lifted the standards of training.”

Chelsea arrive in high spirits after a commanding 3–0 win away at Nottingham Forest and a 5–1 demolition of Ajax in midweek Champions League action. Enzo Maresca’s men appear to have found their rhythm and are pushing hard for a top-four spot. The Blues boast an impressive record against newly-promoted teams, having lost just three of their last 72 encounters a statistic that should inspire confidence.

Maresca has no new injury concerns but remains without Liam Delap, Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, and Cole Palmer, all of whom continue to recover from long-term injuries. Malo Gusto will also miss out after his late red card against Nottingham Forest.

Much of the Italian’s pre-match press conference centred on young Spaniard Marc Guiu, who began the season on loan at Sunderland before being recalled following Delap’s injury and Nicolas Jackson’s departure. The decision proved controversial at the time, with Guiu initially struggling for minutes, but after an impressive start and standout performance against Ajax, Maresca confirmed that the 18-year-old is now “ready to start.”

He also admitted he had been unimpressed with the striker’s attitude in training earlier in the season but praised his recent improvement, saying Guiu has since been “excellent.”

Chelsea are certainly not short on firepower. They are currently the second-highest-scoring team in the league, just one goal behind Manchester City, and will look to extend their winning run against a confident Sunderland side.