Sunderland and Chelsea will be chasing European qualification when they lock horns at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
An action-packed 2025/26 Premier League season will reach a dramatic end on Sunday with Gameweek 38, even though the Premier League title race is over. However, with several clubs still chasing European qualification, Sunderland vs Chelsea will be one of the most intriguing matches to look forward to this weekend.
Sunderland will end the 2025/26 season as one of the surprise packages, even if they fail to qualify for a European competition. Few would have given the Wearside outfit a chance to remain in the Premier League, let alone finish in the top half of the table. So, with the Black Cats still in contention to qualify for the UEFA Europa League and the Europa Conference League, they have belied all predictions around them nine months ago.
Like the home side, the visitors have been far away from the widespread expectations around them, albeit for the wrong reasons. With Enzo Maresca starting his second season in charge of Chelsea, they would have hoped for another top-five finish and a trophy win.
Instead, the Blues have no chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, and they will end the campaign without an honour. Worse still has been the managerial carousel at the West London club, as two managers have left Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior losing their jobs. So, Calum McFarlane will end the campaign as the caretaker head coach.
The reverse fixture saw Sunderland come from a goal down to beat Chelsea 2-1, with Chemsdine Talbi scoring the late winner. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Sunderland
Regis Le Bris has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Sunderland head coach may be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Chemsdine Talbi is the latest absentee after sustaining a knock in the Premier League clash with Everton last week. The Moroccan international accompanies Simon Moore (wrist) in the treatment room, while Daniel Ballard serves a suspension. Meanwhile, Le Bris is sweating over the fitness of Omar Alderete (groin), Romaine Mundle (thigh), and Bertrand Traore (knee).
Robin Roefs is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Sunderland lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Sunday. The backline will feature Lutsharel Geertruida, Nordi Mukiele, Luke O’Nien, and Reinildo Mandava.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki in the double pivot, with Enzo Le Fee reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Brian Brobbey will spearhead the Sunderland attack against Chelsea, with Nilson Angulo and Trai Hume being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Geertruida, Mukiele, O’Nien, Mandava; Xhaka, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Sunderland dugout, Calum McFarlane has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Stadium of Light. Chelsea’s interim head coach will be without only four first-team players on Sunday.
Estevao Willian (hamstring), Jesse Derry (head), and Jamie Gittens (thigh) remain in the treatment room, while Mykhailo Mudryk continues his suspension after failing a doping test several months ago. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, and Joao Pedro face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Robert Sanchez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Sunderland on Sunday. The backline will feature Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Moises Caicedo and Reece James in the double pivot, with Enzo Fernandez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Joao Pedro will lead the line for the away side against Sunderland, with Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro
Key Stats
- Following the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in October, Sunderland will aim to complete the Premier League double over Chelsea for the first time since 2000/01. However, the Blues have lost only one of their last 13 Premier League away games against Sunderland (W10 D2), going down 3-2 in May 2016.
- Of all teams to have played in more than five Premier League campaigns, Sunderland have the lowest win rate in their final game of the season, winning just one of their 16 matches (6% – D3 L12). On the other hand, Chelsea have lost their final league match in just two of the last 14 seasons (W9 D3), going down 3-0 at Newcastle in 2017/18 and 2-1 at Aston Villa in 2020/21.
- Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in Gameweek 37, ending a seven-game winless run in the Premier League during which they had scored just twice (D1 L6). The Blues last won consecutive league games in January/February (a run of four).
- Following their 3-1 win at Everton, Sunderland are looking to win consecutive Premier League games for the third time this season after October (v Wolves & Chelsea) and March/April (vs Newcastle United and Tottenham).
- Sunderland have recovered a league-high 22 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season. This is the second-most ever by a promoted side in a campaign in the competition, behind only West Bromwich Albion’s 27 in 2010/11.
Player to Watch
Enzo Fernandez
While Cole Palmer, Brian Brobbey, and Granit Xhaka were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Enzo Fernandez as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.
The Argentine international has enjoyed his best Premier League season in terms of both goals (10) and goal involvements (14). Meanwhile, Fernandez’s last two league goals for the Blues have come from outside the box, after his first 17 all came from inside the area. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner will be the go-to player for Thomas Tuchel this weekend.
Prediction
Sunderland 2-2 Chelsea
Sunday’s season-ending match at the Stadium of Light features two teams that have not been at their best in recent weeks. So, with both sides pushing for European qualification, a scratchy game is on the cards, featuring plenty of chances.
While Sunderland’s defensive showings at home have been top-notch, they have shown a soft underbelly in recent weeks. On the other hand, Chelsea’s output in the final third has improved in recent showings, and their chance-creation has never been a significant issue. Ultimately, there may not be much to separate the two sides, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.
