SAM ALLARDYCE is not prepared to consider what the financial implications are for Sunderland if they fail to fight off relegation to the Championship – and is targeting a top ten Premier League spot instead.
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Sam Allardyce is waiting on the fitness of full-back Billy Jones before naming the Sunderland squad for Saturday’s visit of Chelsea.
Newcastle will face off with an already relegated Aston Villa in Birmingham.
Verdict: Seven points from three games is a tough ask, but I think they’ll do it. United are still in the hunt for fourth place though.
The Black Cats still hold the cards, with an extra game on the Magpies, but coming up against Chelsea this weekend as well, Allardyce knows that they can’t afford to lose it the way Tottenham did on Monday.
The Blues will be looking ahead to next season and the pressure will be far less intense for them than Sunderland in this tie, which may just play into the home sides hands.
Allardyce said the atmosphere should not be as hostile as it was for Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, as the former West Ham manager backed his club’s supporters to pack out the Stadium of Light and roar his boys home.
– Chelsea have won six and lost just one of their last nine Premier League away matches, conceding just four times in that run.
Their last home triumph over Chelsea occurred in October 2000 when a penalty from Kevin Phillips was enough to seal a 1-0 victory.
With just two games remaining until the English Premier League season draws to a close, Leicester City’s miraculous season has everyone’s attention on them.
Courtois could displace Asmir Begovic in goal, but Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink is not planning wholesale changes to honour the integrity of the competition, as Sunderland battle to avoid relegation.
He said with a smile: “I don’t talk to them about it, actually, because if it helps them, it might make them better when they play against me, so why should I help them?”
Chelsea is ninth in the league with 48 points having won 12 games, drawn 12 and lost 11.
“My job is to hopefully make sure they stay focussed and are able to produce under the pressure the performance they need to – and if they don’t keep the mental side correct, that will be the problem”.
A league-high 19 different players have scored for Chelsea in the Premier League this season.
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Put simply, Sunderland have a rather miserable record where this fixture is concerned.
