Sunderland must rewrite history if they are to secure victory vs Chelsea as stats emerge
Sunderland are preparing for a trip to face Chelsea on Saturday.
Chelsea will welcome Sunderland to Stamford Bridge for the first time in eight years in their next Premier League outing on 25 October.
Both sides are featuring towards the top of the table, with Sunderland’s clash against Chelsea posing a true acid test for Regis Le Bris’ men.
Sunderland dug in to beat Wolves 2-0 last time out and will be keen on taking their winning form and grit to the capital.
The 280-plus mile journey to face off against the Club World Cup champions will be far from easy, especially with how history looks over the Black Cats in SW6.
Chelsea history cause for concern at Sunderland
Reinildo could come in for Sunderland against Chelsea as the Mackems look to shut up shop against a top attacking outfit.
The Blues have already netted 16 league goals this campaign, causing problems with their wealth of creative talent.
Le Bris’ men have only scored nine by comparison, so it already looks like an uphill battle for the north-east outfit.
This has historically been the case for Sunderland, with goals being a key part of almost every meeting between the two sides.
3.24 goals are scored per game on average based on 125 meetings across a 118-year history against each other.
Chelsea are on the right side of this history, netting 223 at an average of 1.78 compared to Sunderland’s 183 total and 1.46.
These stats have had a direct impact on results, with the Londoners taking 61 wins against the Mackems, while the red and white stripes have only secured 42.
Sunderland haven’t beaten Chelsea since 2016
The two sides haven’t faced each other since May 2017, when Stamford Bridge watched a 5-1 win for the home side.
This brought the curtain down on a dismal season for the Black Cats, before their spell in the wilderness of the Championship and League One.
Three points haven’t gone the way of the SR5 club in nine years, with a 3-2 win at the Stadium of Light being iconic in the north east.
Wahbi Khazri scored a wonder goal and was added to by strikes from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe to tie up a famous victory.
Le Bris and Co. will be hopeful of recreating the history of May 2016 if they are to secure yet another excellent result on their Premier League return.
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