DStv Premiership

STATS: Chiefs v Sundowns

When the fixtures were first published, a late season clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns would have been expected to be a title decider. Lest we forget, at the beginning of the season, Chiefs were still fresh off a CAF Champions League final. With Stuart Baxter back at the helm, hopes were high for a closer title race. Instead, Stuart Baxter has since been deemed unsuitable for the challenge, and Sundowns have already won the league at a canter. Expectations have switched from title deciders to guards of honour.

4 – Sundowns won the PSL title with four games still left to play – the earliest PSL title victory in terms of remaining matches since Downs were confirmed with 5 games to play in 2006/7.

The pendulum has swung very fast.

What Gavin Hunt found after Ernst Middendorp was a club that had narrowly lost the PSL title on the last day. What Stuart Baxter found after Hunt was a club slightly in the shadows of Mamelodi Sundowns, who had just won a fourth consecutive title. What he leaves behind is a club further in the shadows, as the champions have strengthened their hold on the local scene with a 5th consecutive title. All that teams like Chiefs have been left to fight for is second, with a race set to go down to the wire. If this was the title race, the PSL would be box office.

4 – With two gameweeks remaining, four teams can still get second spot this season – Kaizer Chiefs, Cape Town City, Royal AM and Orlando Pirates.

However, the window is closing fast for Chiefs, who need to get something out of this game to keep their foot in the battle. Defeat here will leave them with a mountain to climb, so that could be the motivator that drives them over the line this Sunday. Plus, if there is one team that knows what it takes to stop Sundowns, it is Chiefs. After all, they prevented Downs going invincible last season, and we wouldn’t put it past them spoiling the guard-of-honour party.

21 – Sundowns have lost more league matches against Kaizer Chiefs than versus any other opponent in the PSL (21).

Another win could be difficult given the abject nature of Chiefs’ home form, especially this year. Chiefs’ home struggles in 2022 are well documented, with one win and two goals to show for their efforts when at home. No team has fewer goals in home matches than them since the turn of the Year. On the other hand, a win will go a long way to confirming almost beyond doubt just how dominant this season has been for Sundowns. Led by Peter Shalulile, who is chasing personal goal scoring records of his own, Sundowns still have something to play for:

14 – The 14-point gap between Sundowns (1st) & Wits (2nd) in 2015/16 represents the biggest gap between 1st and second in PSL history. 

Sundowns are currently 13 points ahead of 2nd, with a game in hand.

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