Chelsea are flying high in the Premier League and have the opportunity to go six points clear after their closest title rivals Arsenal lost to Everton last night.
The Blues will face bottom of the table Sunderland side away from home and are favorites to earn all three points against the Black Cats.
Chelsea improved the quality of their squad in the summer transfer window by signing key stars. More importantly, the Blues made sure that they kept their star players despite not playing in the Champions League this season. One such star player is Spanish international Cesat Azpilicueta.
The La Roja star has the ability to play anywhere in the back line and currently plays in the central defense. Manager Antonio Conte heavily praised him for such versatility last month. The Italian claimed (The Guardian):
“Azpi is a fantastic player because he can play different roles but I think the role that he’s playing now is perfect for him,”
The former Marseille star has agreed a new deal with the club that will make him earn around £75,000-a-week, £13.65million ($17.2million) in the next three and a half years (Daily Mail).
Conte is delighted with Azpi’s contract extension and stated:
“Azpilicueta is a really good player. Now, I think, his valuation is very high. He’s an important player who can play in different roles. It was a good affair for the club.”
So far, the 27-year-old defender has featured in 18 games for the Blues this season, scored one goal and provided three assists.
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