Trai Hume's quotes have only added more fuel to Chelsea's fire
Chelsea will be looking to seek revenge on a Sunderland side that did the double over the Blues last season, with Regis Le Bris' side sitting bottom of the Premier League table, and with only one win to their name, coming in their second game of the season.
But after last night's disappointing display against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League, although they managed to create 1.76xG, they were unable to score any of their three big chances, with failing to finish seeming to be an ongoing issue for the Black Cats.
According to the xG table, the two sides would only be separated by two places, rather than the 15 shown in the actual Premier League table. The form of striker Brian Brobbey has been a big issue for Sunderland, with the Dutchman scoring three Premier League goals this season, all coming in a 4-3 loss to Manchester City in September.
With this being the last match before the upcoming international break, the result could determine how Chelsea fans feel about Xabi Alonso's opening stanza in charge. But despite the gap in position and form between the two sides, Sunderland captain Trae Hume spoke to TNT Sports post-match last night and welcomed Chelsea to the Stadium of Light, insisting that Sunday's game will be their "biggest of the season."
“We wanted to give our fans something to cheer about, and we couldn’t do that. We’re really disappointed, but we have put our focus on the Premier League now.
“This is probably the biggest game of the season for us; not getting results has run on too long and we need to find a way to change that.”
One thing that should be on Chelsea's side come Sunday is that Regis Le Bris put out a strong side last night against Dinamo Zagreb, whereas Chelsea have had a whole week to prepare for this fixture as they last played against Manchester United last Saturday in the early kick-off.
This should help Chelsea's explosive front four recover and be extra fresh to go at a Sunderland defence that has conceded the third most Premier League goals this season, with Cole Palmer especially, with a point to prove after being left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad earlier today despite being fully fit.
One thing is for sure: no matter where each side sits in the Premier League table, both would love to pick up three points to go into the international break on a high, and Trai Hume's comments have only added more fuel to the fire, especially after Sunderland denied Chelsea European football on the final day of last season.
