Stamford Bridge side travel to the Stadium of Light to take on the off-form Black Cats.

Rafa Benitez will be looking to his side to secure their first Premier League win of his reign against a Sunderland side who are in a shocking run of form. The Spaniard saw his side thump weak opposition in the Champions League in midweek and will hope re-ignite their Premier League title chase at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have managed just one home win thus far this season and have won just one of their last nine Premier League matches, leaving Martin O’Neill’s position under threat. With the January transfer window looming the Black Cats must improve their form otherwise there may be another manager in the hot-seat next month.

Venue Stadium of Light

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Last season Sunderland 1 Chelsea 2

Referee Mark Halsey

This season’s matches 7 Y14, R2, 2.29 cards per game

Odds Sunderland 18-5 Chelsea 8-11 Draw 13-5

Sunderland

Subs from Westwood, Kilgallon, Bramble, McClean, Vaughan, Wickham, McFadden, Campbell, Ji

Doubtful Fletcher (ankle), O’Shea (calf)

Injured Cattermole (knee, Feb), Brown (knee, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide LDLWLL

Disciplinary record Y23 R0

Leading scorer Fletcher 6

Chelsea

Subs from Turnbull, Blackman, Hilário, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Bertrand, Lampard, Oscar, Marin, Piazon

Doubtful None

Injured Sturridge (hamstring, 16 Dec), Terry (knee, 19 Dec)

Suspended Mikel (first of three)

Form guide LDDLDD

Disciplinary record Y21 R2

Leading scorer Mata 5

SOURCE: Guardian

STAT-ATTACK

Head-to-head

Chelsea have won 14 out of the last 15 meetings between the teams, including the last three.

Sunderland’s only win against Chelsea since October 2000 was the 3-0 triumph at Stamford Bridge in November 2010.

The last time Sunderland got anything out of a home game against Chelsea was back in December 2001 when they earned a point from a 0-0 draw. Their last home win over the Blues came the previous year in October 2000.

Sunderland

Sunderland have won one of their last nine league games.

The Black Cats have won only one league game at the Stadium of Light this season. Only bottom-of-the-table QPR have a worse home record.

Sunderland are yet to win against a side from the top half of the table this season (D4, L3).

Martin O’Neill’s first match as Sunderland manager took place almost a year ago – a 2-1 win over Blackburn on 11 December 2011. O’Neill has now had the equivalent of a season (38 league matches) in charge. His record is W11, D13, L14, Pts 47.

Chelsea

Chelsea have not won any of their last seven league matches (D4, L3). It is their longest run without a victory in 18 years since a 10-match streak from December 1994 to February 1995.

Rafael Benitez is the first Chelsea manager to fail to win any of his first three Premier League matches since Gianluca Vialli in 1998.

The last time he took a team to Sunderland, Benitez’s Liverpool lost 1-0 thanks to Darren Bent’s infamous “beach-ball” goal.

Fernando Torres provided his first Premier League assist in 22 matches last weekend, but he has gone 12 hours and 19 minutes without a Premier League goal.

SOURCE: BBC Sport

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