Chelsea Prepare to Face a Surging Sunderland | OneFootball

Chelsea could afford to make ten changes for their midweek Champions League triumph over Ajax. Enzo Maresca likely will not take that same risk against a resilient Sunderland side on Saturday.

Resurgent Sunderland

The Black Cats have taken the Premier League by storm since their return to England’s top flight. They’ve won four and drawn two of their eight league games so far this campaign and sit seventh in the league going into the weekend’s clash.

Regis Le Bris has overseen a significant summer spending spree, which saw the club add quality signings in the form of goalkeeper Robin Roefs, midfielder Granit Xhaka and defender Nordi Mukiele. Not only have they proven themselves to be no pushovers, but they have shown enough to suggest they could be in for more than just a season of consolidation.

“It’s been a good start to the season for us. It shows we were consistent, flexible,” the Sunderland boss said.

“Chelsea are really strong, it’s a top four team in the Premier League. They can play 60 games, they have depth, young and dynamic. It’s a good example for us. They are well coached and have individuals who can win a game. It’s a big test.”

Chelsea’s Depth

That squad depth Le Bris spoke about was certainly on show in Chelsea’s 5-1 demolition of Ajax. The Blues took full advantage of Kenneth Taylor’s first-half red card and it proved the perfect opportunity for Chelsea’s youngsters to show what they can offer in an important game. Their performances have certainly given Maresca food for thought.

The electric Estévão was among those handed a start and he continued to impress following his summer move from Palmeiras. Maresca has been cautious with the 18-year-old so far but it is clear that Chelsea have a very exciting talent on their hands and there will be clamour for him to start again on Saturday.

Marc Guiu, having been warned about his performances in training by Maresca, also took his chance by opening the scoring and his boss has said he is now ready for more opportunities. Guiu played three times on loan for Sunderland at the start of the campaign before Chelsea opted to recall him following Liam Delap’s injury and Nicolas Jackson’s impending departure.

Critical Rest for Key Players

Not only was Wednesday a valuable opportunity for Maresca to give his squad players the chance to impress, which they certainly did, but it also allowed him to give rest to key players such as Reece James, Marc Cucurella, and Pedro Neto, while the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez played just half of the game. Joao Pedro has also been given a longer rest after missing the game through suspension.

Though while Maresca is right to have increased faith in his younger players based on their latest win, he will certainly need his more established Premier League stars when they come up against Sunderland, who will not roll over like Ajax did.