Sunderland have experienced mixed fortunes of late in the Premier League. At home, they have seen an upturn in fortunes, but away from home David Moyes side have struggled for points.
On Wednesday night the Black Cats host Premier League leaders Chelsea, who have won their last nine Premier League games.
For most teams, consecutive league wins would not be a big deal, but for the Black Cats, the wins were a sign that the Black Cats relegation to the Championship is not a foregone conclusion.
The side from the north east have scored five goals in those two home wins and have looked confident. However, the arrival of Chelsea at the Stadium of Light is likely to prove a major challenge for the Black Cats.
The Blues have recorded four consecutive away wins and are currently leading the table by three points from second-place Arsenal. Antonio Conte’s side have shown both resilience and quality in recent weeks to maintain their position at the top of the table.
The team’s recent games have produced major contrasts in terms of goals in the top-flight. There have been over 2.5 goals scored in eight of Sunderland’s last nine top-flight games. In contrast, there has been under 2.5 goals scored in three of Chelsea’s last four away games.
Chelsea’s recent success has been built on a solid defence, as the Blues have kept clean sheets in seven of their last nine games in the Premier League. Unsurprisingly, Conte’s side have the joint-best defensive record in the league and the home side are likely to find the difficult to break the visitors down.
However, veteran Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe has been in good form this season, scoring eight times in the top-flight. Despite the fact that Chelsea are top of the table and Sunderland are bottom, this game may be a lot closer than most people are expecting it to be.