Chelsea vs. Sunderland: 3 Key Battles
A dead rubber to be played at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are already Champions while Sunderland are safe from the drop, this game might not be one of the games to feature a lot of dramatic events, but it surely does have a few points to keep an eye out for. Remember last season? Jose Mourinho’s amazing record at Stamford Bridge was taken apart by Sunderland who also ensured their safety last season with a brilliant win at the Bridge.
Jose would be looking to avenge that but Sunderland will be coming into the game with a lot of confidence and having no pressure on them as they have already secured safety this season. Dick Advocaat’s men will be looking to do another number on Chelsea and we pick the three key battles that could sway the match in favour of either team.
Costa vs. Coates
Sunderland have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 8 games, that has been one of their redeeming features as they have fixed the leaking of goals and look a solid outfit at the back. Sebastian Coates might not have been the number one choice for the centre back position but he has played very well during his short stint at Sunderland and will have his hands full as he would have to battle Diego Costa who will be looking to get back to goal scoring form for the Blues. Costa is still recovering from an injury but that shouldn’t stop him from being a nuisance to the Sunderland defence.
Terry vs. Fletcher
Another defender vs. striker battle, Steven Fletcher hasn’t scored many goals for Sunderland and isn’t in the same league as Costa in terms of ability and goals but that still makes him a headache to deal with for opposition defences. The striker is a tough player to deal with in the air and will be looking to score a goal as he takes on one of the best defenders in the league. John Terry is proof that age isn’t a barometer of how good you are, he seems to be getting better with more games being played, similar to a bottle of wine, the older he gets, the better he seems to be getting.
Matic vs. Cattermole (The Battle Of Two Tough Tacklers)
A battle not for the fainthearted, Cattermole and Matic are two of the toughest players in the Premier League and tough tacklers as well, they will not be giving an inch to their opponents, so you can be sure of some big tackles and maybe a temper flaring up here and there. This will not be a battle but a war for supremacy in midfield and certainly should be kept an eye out on, especially since Cattermole is prone to doing something rash and we all know how Chelsea react to anything as they surround the referee like he is the ice-cream man on a summer’s day.