The last game of the season and both Chelsea and Sunderland do not have much to play for, Chelsea have already won the Premier League while Sunderland secured their place in the top flight for another season thanks to a battling 0-0 draw against Arsenal in midweek. Chelsea will however, be looking to not only close the season with a bang but also try to get revenge on the loss handed to them by Sunderland last season which scuppered Jose Mourinho’s great record at home.
Chelsea will also be without Cesc Fabregas who was red carded against West Brom, a game which they lost 3-0 and that could be ominous for Sunderland. The Black cats really won’t care how this game goes, they can start planning for next season knowing full well that they need to do better than they did this season.
The game might not be as tense an affair as though but it does feature a few subplots, we look at 3 key battles that could decide the fate of the game at Stamford Bridge.
1. Courtois vs. Pantilimon
Two goalkeepers who have been good at stretches this season but have also made a few errors. Pantilimon was excellent against Arsenal but hasn’t looked the most assured at the back for Sunderland while Courtois has had a brilliant first season for Chelsea but has had a few mistakes this season. Keepers are often overlooked when it comes to their value for a club, unless its De Gea at United but these two have been extremely important for their respective clubs this season and the role they play next season could be even greater.
2. Ivanovic vs. Johnson
Branislav Ivanovic is the best right back in the Premier League, there is no doubt about that. The Serbian might be better as a centre back but his performances down the right for Chelsea have been exceptional, but he might have a bit of trouble taking on a talented winger Adam Johnson this weekend. Johnson has always had the talent but hasn’t shown it as much as he would have liked, the former Manchester City man might still have a trick or two to show the Premier League champions but he will be up against Ivanovic who will not give an inch to the English winger, this would be a tasty battle to watch.
3. Matic vs. Cattermole
If you want to see some tough tackling and midfield battles what could be better than watching two of the toughest midfielders in the Premier League going head to head against each other. Nemanja Matic has shown how important he is for Chelsea this season while Lee Cattermole might not have the same influence as the big Serbian but he still does put in a few hard challenges on players and he could be looking forward to putting in a mark or two against Matic.
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