Coach Rafael Benitez finally got his first win as manager, but it turned out as pointless as his tenure thus far.
Chelsea dominated FC Nordsjaelland in the UEFA Champions League by the score 6-1, but wound up eliminated from contention. Now Benitez and his troops must win Saturday in order to turn around their dreadful run in the English Premier League. Chelsea has not won in seven straight EPL matches and has lost three times in that span. Before the stretch, the Blues had a solid lead atop of the EPL table, but since then they have fallen into a three way tie for third place with just 26 points. Second place Manchester City currently has 33 points and first place Manchester United has 36 points. However, Benitez is not worried.
"I'm not worried about the distance. It's important we win so we are close, but all we can do is think about one game at a time. We have to improve the team and be mentally strong enough to compete in the second part of the league," said Benitez.
They have a prime chance at making a turnaround when they face 17th place Sunderland Saturday. The squad has only won once in nine matches and has one of the worst offenses in the league. Their road record includes just one win, four draws, and three losses, but could potentially feature the side playing a defensive style to shutdown the frustrated Chelsea offense.
Prediction: Chelsea is bound to win again. Why not against one of the worst teams in the league? And while not by a large margin at home? 5-1 Chelsea.
Start Time: 10 PM EST
TV Info: ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes