Chelsea travel to Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., with Xabi Alonso looking to continue his run of positive results before the international break and Cole Palmer smarting from another rejection by England boss Thomas Tuchel.
Sunderland, meanwhile, have vast issues of their own, with the fact that they are rock bottom of the Premier League table on the agenda. A win here could spark their season into life, a loss, though and the clouds could get darker around the Stadium of Light.
Here's everything you need to know about the match:
What TV channel is Sunderland vs Chelsea on?
The match will be available to watch on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports UHD1 in the UK, NBC in the U.S., Star Sports in India, and Stan Sport in Australia.
What time does Sunderland vs Chelsea kick-off?
UK GMT: Sunday, Nov. 8, 2 p.m.
U.S EST: Sunday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m.
India IST: Sunday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Australia AEDT: Monday, Nov. 9, 1 a.m.
How to live stream Sunderland vs Chelsea
The match can be live streamed on Sky Sports+ in the UK, Peacock in the U.S., JioHotstar in India, and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates here.
Sunderland vs Chelsea team news and injuries
Sunderland
Habib Diarra, M, muscle, OUT
Daniel Ballard, D, hamstring, OUT
Omar Alderete, D, suspended, OUT
Romaine Mundle, F, knee, OUT
Chelsea
Emiliano Martínez, GK, broken jaw, OUT
Aaron Anselmino, D, discomfort, OUT
Jorrel Hato, D, knock, OUT
Maxence Lacroix, D, hamstring, OUT
Reece James, D, knee, OUT
Jamie Gittens, F, ankle, DOUBT
João Pedro, F, muscle, OUT
Sunderland vs Chelsea predicted line-ups
Sunderland (4-2-3-1)
Robin Roefs
Trai Hume | Luke O'Nien | Dayann Methalie | Reinildo
Noah Sadiki | Granit Xhaka
Chris Rigg | Enzo Le Fée | Angulo
Brian Brobbey
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Mike Penders
Josh Acheampong | Wesley Fofana | Levi Colwill | Marco Palestra
Romeo Lavia | Moisés Caicedo
Estêvão | Cole Palmer | Morgan Rogers
Pedro Neto
Who is the referee for Sunderland vs Chelsea?
Referee: Jarred Gillett
VAR: Nick Hopton
Sunderland vs. Chelsea talking points
Sunderland need to get a move on
A 3-2 win over Brentford in the EFL Cup has been the lone bright spot for Sunderland over the past few weeks but losses to Coventry City and Dinamo Zagreb over the past week have brought the gloom right back. Nine games into the season, they're sitting rock bottom of the league with just one win and seven goals [only Nottingham Forest have scored less in the league.]
Chelsea's inconsistent defence could well provide the solution to their travails [Wesley Fofana vs Manchester United last weekend personified this] but Sunderland's forwards will need to step up, big time.
Cole Palmer has a point to prove
"I guess everyone is desperate to play for England, and Cole [Palmer] is no exception. We're speaking now about the player who is not in camp, and on the other hand, it counts when you are in camp. And I just said it last time. He misses too many opportunities to impress."
That's not the kind of thing you want to hear your national manager say, but Thomas Tuchel was plain about his exclusion of Cole Palmer from the national squad for this international window. With six goal contributions this season (3G, 3A) and he's looked like he's getting back to his best with the free role he's been given by new club boss Xabi Alonso.
Tuchel's statement is exactly the kind that could light a fire under Palmer and see him explode into life, or the kind that could pull him back into the malaise that seemed to envelop him last season: how he responds to it will define just how this season goes for him... and by extension, Chelsea.