Clive Rose/Getty Images Chelsea will be aiming to pick up all three points as it welcomes Sunderland to The Bridge. If the Blues are going to get back into the Premier League title chase during the season's second half, the team's run will need to begin soon.
They are coming off a convincing 4-0 victory over Portsmouth in the FA Cup's third round, but have secured the maximum amount of points in just once in the past five games. A lack of goal-scoring punch has been the main reason for Chelsea's struggles.
After finishing last season in 10th place, Sunderland finds itself right back in the same position. While supporters of the Black Cats are probably happy they aren't dealing with a relegation battle, they'd also like to start seeing some progress toward European contention.
Where: Stamford Bridge in London, England
When: Saturday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. ET
Watch: Fox Soccer Channel and FoxSoccer.tv
Betting Odds: Chelsea -310, Sunderland +785, Draw +365
Player to Watch for Chelsea: Juan Mata
Mata was brought over from Valencia during the summer and has been one of the team's few consistent offensive threats this season. The 23-year-old striker has scored four goals and added seven assists in 18 league games for the Blues.
Sunderland will be a tough test for Chelsea's slumping forwards, having given up just 12 goals in 10 road games. That means Mata will have to be in his best form to help his team break out of their funk before it's too late to chase down the Manchester rivals.
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Player to Watch for Sunderland: Stephane Sessegnon
Following a successful stint with Paris Saint-Germain, Sessegnon joined Sunderland in last year's January transfer window. The results have been mixed, but he's been playing well as of late with at least on point in four straight matches.
The 27-year-old Beninese midfielder isn't dynamic in any particular area of the game, but is a well-rounded, dependable option. He does have good pace, which could pose problems for Chelsea if the Blues get caught flat footed in their own third.
Paul Gilham/Getty Images Key Matchup: Petr Cech vs. Simon Mignolet
Chelsea is struggling to score and Sunderland doesn't have much firepower to begin with, which means every goal will be crucial on Saturday. In games like that, it's up to the goalkeepers—in this case, Cech for the Blues and Mignolet for the Black Cats—to make sure everything is order at the back.
Keepers only make the highlights when they make a tremendous save (or score a goal like Tim Howard), but their job is so much more important than that. Making sure the entire defense is on the same page is a tall task, and whichever guy does it better will give him team a big advantage.
What They're Saying
Chelsea star Didier Drogba is one of the hottest names on the transfer market, and one team that could be in play is Aston Villa, according to Wayne Veysey of Goal.com.
Aston Villa are interested in signing Didier Drogba in a move that could pave the way for the shock January exit of Darren Bent, Goal.com has learned.
The Midlands club have expressed an interest in swooping for the Chelsea veteran, who turns 34 in March.
Drogba is out of contract in the summer and talks over an extension at Stamford Bridge have reached a stalemate, with the Londoners unwilling to exceed the one-year deal currently on the table.
Another player linked to a potential move is Sunderland's Kieran Richardson, but Black Cats boss Martin O'Neill said he hasn't heard from Arsenal like reports indicated (via ESPNsoccernet).
O'Neill said: "Arsenal have not been in touch with me, I don't know anything about it. I asked the chief executive as well and she said no, there hasn't been anybody in touch yet.
"But what I have said is that I would keep players informed about what is happening.
"Obviously, I don't want to rush players to leave the football club. I would rather think about stabilizing things here, and hopefully we can try to progress from there.”
Prediction
Chelsea 2, Sunderland 1
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