The Black Cats won 3-0 at Stamford Bridge last season.
“Some people will be writing us off already – but we’ve got results before and we can do it again,” he told the club’s official website.
“We are all looking forward to the game, which should be a fantastic occasion. As a player, I treat every game the same, though.”
He added: “I’m playing the game that I love and my approach doesn’t change no matter who we’re playing.
“Chelsea are a challenge to play against as a defender because they have some great striking talent, but I play the game to test myself against the world’s best.
“Obviously they have some great attacking players and they will be a threat no matter who is on the pitch on the day.”
