Chelsea will take on Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, 25 October, with the hosts looking to climb into the top four with a victory.
The Blues have recovered well after a string of disappointing results at the beginning of the season, and now look like a team ready to push on further.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are still punching well above their weight, but they will need to play better than they did in their last away fixture if they are to take anything from this one.
As part of this week's round of Premier League betting tips, check out our Chelsea vs Sunderland prediction below.
Contents
Chelsea vs Sunderland prediction: An easy afternoon ahead for the Blues
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Sunderland have failed to win three of their four away matches this season.
- Both teams have scored in four of Chelsea's last five Premier League matches.
Correct score prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland
Chelsea have started to find their best form, and their 5-1 demolition job on Ajax this week was their best performance of the season so far. Sunderland were poor in their last away trip against Man Utd, and it's hard to picture a massive improvement against better opposition.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Chelsea are big favourites
- HOME: 2/5 (1.40) – 71.4%
- DRAW: 19/5 (4.80) – 20.8%
- AWAY: 13/2 (7.50) – 13.3%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
The Chelsea vs Sunderland odds are weighted strongly in favour of the hosts. Ladbrokes have given Chelsea a 71.4% chance of getting the win, while Sunderland have been given just a 13.3% chance of pulling off the upset.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: A first meeting in eight years
This will be the first time that Chelsea and Sunderland have played against each other since 2017, and the two squads have changed significantly since then. The most recent clash finished 5-1 to the Blues, and an identical result here would go down a treat with the fans at Stamford Bridge.
England Premier League 21/05/17
Chelsea
Sunderland
England Premier League 14/12/16
Sunderland
Chelsea
England Premier League 07/05/16
Sunderland
Chelsea
England Premier League 19/12/15
Chelsea
Sunderland
England Premier League 24/05/15
Chelsea
Sunderland
Chelsea preview: Suspensions continue to sting
Chelsea have had their fair share of disciplinary issues this season, and Malo Gusto will miss out on Saturday after being red-carded against Nottingham Forest last week. In better news, Joao Pedro will return after missing the Champions League clash with Ajax due to a suspension of his own.
Predicted lineup: Sanchez (GK), James, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Neto, Estevao, Garnacho, Pedro
Last five results
- Chelsea 5-1 Ajax
- Nottingham Forest 0-3 Chelsea
- Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
- Chelsea 1-0 Benfica
- Chelsea 1-3 Brighton
Sunderland preview: Mandava to return
Speaking of suspensions, Sunderland will be able to recall Reinildo Mandava to their starting XI on Saturday following his three-match suspension. However, that is where the good news ends as Romaine Mundle, Omar Alderete, Habib Diarra, Leo Hjelde, Aji Alese and Dennis Cirkin are all out injured.
Predicted lineup: Roefs (GK), Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Reinildo, Xhaka, Rigg, Sadiki, Talbi, Isidor, Le Fee
Last five results
- Sunderland 2-0 Wolves
- Man Utd 2-0 Sunderland
- Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland
- Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa
- Crystal Palace 0-0 Sunderland
Player to watch: Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho hasn't had the best of starts to his Chelsea career, but he should get another chance to start on Saturday. After being taken off at half-time last weekend and failing to get off the bench on Wednesday night, Garnacho will need a big performance on Saturday.