In-form Chelsea aim to extend winning streak against resilient Sunderland | OneFootball

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday when they host Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues head into the contest fresh from a 5-1 dismantling of Ajax in the Champions League.

Manager Enzo Maresca praised his players’ progress but was quick to temper expectations ahead of Sunderland’s visit.

“It’s a Premier League game,” he said in his press conference. “I don’t think there is any game that can be easy. They are all difficult.

“Sunderland have shown since the season started that they are a very good team who play and work together. They have the same points as us, so that says a lot about how good they’ve been.”

The Italian is expected to field another youthful line-up, with the squad’s average age the lowest in the Premier League this season.

Maresca admitted that managing such a young group requires patience and constant guidance.

“The main thing for me is to help them day by day,” he added. “They are all good players, but they need to understand how we want to play.

“If you want to improve the team, you need to improve players first.”

Among those attracting attention is teenager Estevao Willian, who scored against Ajax after being handed the ball for a penalty by Enzo Fernandez. Maresca hailed the gesture as evidence of growing unity.

“That moment showed how together the team is,” he said. “We were pleased about the win, but the main thing was Enzo giving the penalty to Estevao. It showed the spirit we have right now.”

Marc Guiu could feature again after his own breakthrough performance, though Maresca revealed he had previously challenged the striker’s attitude in training.

“He was not training well,” the coach admitted. “We spoke, he changed, and he got his chance. Since then, he’s been fantastic.”

Sunderland are seventh in the table after collecting 14 points from their opening eight matches – their best start to a top-flight campaign in 25 years.

The Black Cats are unbeaten in their last 13 away games in London and have shown they can compete with established Premier League teams.

Chelsea are clear favourites, but Sunderland should not be underestimated.