Chelsea v Sunderland: Team news, predictions, odds, statistics, quotes & kick-off time


The match pack for Chelsea v Sunderland includes team news, statistics, manager quotes, odds and our prediction.

The game kicks off at 1500 BST at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea v Sunderland: Our prediction  


Nick Hext writes... The season ends at Stamford Bridge with the Premier League’s best team taking on its worst. I think the best team will win.

Chelsea are massively odds-on at 1/6 for a win to get them up to 93 points for the season and there’s no serious case to be made for Sunderland springing a surprise at 25/1. 

The Blues made nine changes for Monday night’s entertaining 4-3 win at home to Watford after the title was secured with a 1-0 victory at West Brom the previous Friday.

Michy Batshuayi scored for the second game in a row as he was given a rare chance to start but the bookies have the Belgian striker odds-on across the board to net against Sunderland, along with team-mates Diego Costa and Eden Hazard. 

I’m sure Chelsea will win but I’m not convinced it will be a total thrashing. Sunderland went down to two late goals when losing 2-0 at Arsenal in midweek and they’ve only conceded more than twice in one of their last 12 outings. 

In-demand goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been the main reason for their reasonably stern resistance and the principal problem for the Black Cats is having the league’s most limited squad rather than a lack of effort. 

Sunderland have only managed to score in one of their previous 13 matches and you know it’s been an awful year when a 2-2 draw at home to West Ham is one of your best moments.

You can get 5/4 for Chelsea to claim victory by three or more goals but I’d wait for the team news to see just who is taking to the field for Antonio Conte’s title winners. For now it's no bet.

Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 Sunderland

Chelsea v Sunderland: Team news


Chelsea captain John Terry must wait to learn if he will start or be a substitute in his final Stamford Bridge appearance.

The 36-year-old defender, who will leave Chelsea this summer after 22 years, made his first Premier League start since September and 716th Blues appearance in last Monday's win over Watford.

But head coach Antonio Conte, who has no injury concerns, may revert to his first-choice line-up to prepare for the FA Cup final with Arsenal on May 27.

Sunderland boss David Moyes is facing yet another injury crisis.

Defender Lamine Kone and midfielder Didier Ndong (both dead leg) are doubtful following Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal and join defender Papy Djilobodji (thigh), midfielders Jason Denayer (also thigh) and Wahbi Khazri (knee) and striker Victor Anichebe (hamstring) on the sidelines.

George Honeyman is still struggling with a back problem, as are fellow midfielders Jan Kirchhoff (knee) and Steven Pienaar (ankle), while Paddy McNair and Duncan Watmore (knee ligaments) are long-term absentees.

Teams:

Chelsea (from): Courtois, Begovic, Alonso, Fabregas, Zouma, Ake, Kante, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Moses, Pedro, Costa, Matic, Willian, Batshuayi, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Luiz, Eduardo, Aina.

Sunderland (from): Pickford, Mannone, Jones, Manquillo, Oviedo, Love, O'Shea, Lescott, Cattermole, Gooch, Gibson, Borini, Rodwell, Januzaj, Defoe, Mata, Asoro.

Chelsea v Sunderland: Manager quotes

 

Antonio Conte (Chelsea)

On John Terry signing off his Blues career: "John is a champion and he deserves the best. It will be a surprise. It's important to make the best decision and to find the best solution for him, for his career.

"He's a legend for this club and in this season he has been very important to win this title. For this reason I think I have to take my time and to make the best decision for him.

"John has all the possibilities to continue his career. We all know that he is preferring to play regularly and for this reason he has decided to leave. He wants to play regularly, every week.

"I think he has the possibility to do this, because he's still strong. I think in the moment I called him to play he showed this.

"When you arrive at this point of your career it's very important to feel yourself, to feel your body, to feel your mind, to feel if you have still desire, still will to fight to arrive every day and work very hard.

"If you feel this, it's right to continue to play, to continue your career. John has all these characteristics.

"First of all it's important to repeat: I have two years' contract to go.

"It's important to underline this. Then I always said for me, for the players it's very important to finish this season, to be focused, to be concentrated on our target.

"Now we reached a really important target for us, to win the league. Now on Sunday we have two targets: to try to win the 30 games in this league. I think it's an unbelievable target for us.

"Then Thibaut (Courtois) to win the Golden Gloves (award for most clean sheets). We have these two targets on Sunday. Also to prepare in the right way for the final of the FA Cup against Arsenal."

David Moyes (Sunderland)

Warning Jordan Pickford's suitors not to expect a fire-sale price: "It would need to be a really, really big offer.

"I have said all through the season that sometimes on your journey, you may have to sell to improve.

"But I have heard some really derisory sort of figures getting mentioned, and it wouldn't be any of those figures, I can tell you that."

Asked if the Washington-born keeper's price tag would be in the region of £30million, Moyes replied: "Yes."

Chelsea v Sunderland: Opta facts


o Chelsea have won 20 of their last 24 Premier League games against Sunderland (D1 L3), although two of those losses have come in the last six contests. 

o The Black Cats have lost a total of 22 Premier League games against the Blues; only Manchester United have defeated them more times (23).

o These two sides have met twice on the final day in the Premier League era, with the most recent encounter coming in 2014-15 at Stamford Bridge, when Chelsea also ended the season as Champions.

o Only twice in the Premier League era have Chelsea ended the season with defeat at Stamford Bridge on the final day; a 2-3 loss against Blackburn in 1995-96 and a 1-3 loss in against Aston Villa 2001-02.

Chelsea v Sunderland: Sky Bet odds  


Chelsea are the heavy 1/7 favourite to finish the season on a high, with Sunderland massive outsiders at 20/1 while the draw is priced at 13/2. Diego Costa is the favourite at 9/4 with Sky Bet to score first, while for the away side’s Jermain Defoe is 10/1. It’s 3/1 for the Blues to retain the title next season, while for the Black Cats to bounce back from the Sky Bet Championship is priced at 4/1.

Place your bets on Chelsea v Sunderland right here

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