After a rollercoaster Premier League campaign, Sunderland and Chelsea face off this Sunday in a must-watch showdown that could redefine both clubs’ European ambitions. For the hosts, a victory at the Stadium of Light would secure their highest league finish in over a decade, while the visitors arrive desperate to salvage a top-seven spot and potential Europa League qualification.

match day essentials: all you need to know

When: Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM (local time)
Where: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
VAR: Active
TV: CANAL+ Live 6
Streaming: CANAL+ digital platform

As the final whistle approaches in England’s top flight, both sides face contrasting fortunes. Sunderland, fresh from a morale-boosting 3-1 triumph at Everton, sit just one point behind the eighth-place playoff spot and two adrift of the seventh-place Europa League berth. Meanwhile, Chelsea—having endured a nightmare run of seven league games without a win—clings to eighth but risks falling into the Europa Conference League playoffs with even a single slip-up.

the black cats’ remarkable rise under le bris

Sunderland’s journey from League One obscurity to Premier League contenders has been nothing short of extraordinary. Relegated to the third tier in 2018, the club hit rock bottom, a dark chapter immortalized in the documentary Sunderland ’Til I Die. But under the ownership of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, a bold rebuilding project took shape. Promoted back to the Championship in 2022, they sealed their top-flight return last May with a playoff victory over Sheffield United.

This season’s ambitious summer spending spree—over €100 million—ushered in stars like Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fée, Brian Brobbey, and Nordi Mukiele, transforming the squad’s identity. Under Régis Le Bris, appointed in 2024 after his stint at FC Lorient, the Black Cats quickly became a team to reckon with. Early in the campaign, they flirted with European qualification, defying statistical odds that typically relegate promoted sides. Now sitting tenth, they stand on the brink of surpassing their 2010-11 finish—their best in 15 years.

Injury updates: Simon Moore remains sidelined, while Daniel Ballard serves a suspension. Romaine Mundle and Bertrand Traoré are questionable. The attacking trio of Le Fée, Brobbey, and Xhaka is expected to lead the charge.

Sunderland’s probable lineup:

• Robin Roefs
• Lutsharel Geertruida, Nordi Mukiele, Luke O’Nien, Reinildo Mandava
• Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki
• Trai Hume, Enzo Le Fée, Nilson Angulo
• Brian Brobbey

Manager: Régis Le Bris

chelsea’s fading title dreams and european uncertainty

Chelsea’s season has been a tale of missed potential. Despite winning the 2025 UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup under Enzo Maresca, the Blues have spiraled into mediocrity. A promising start under new ownership in 2022 quickly unraveled into managerial carousel chaos—Maresca departed in January, and interim boss Calum McFarlane now oversees a side struggling to find consistency.

The Londoners’ €500 million-plus transfer strategy, built on assembling young talent, has yielded flashes of brilliance but chronic inconsistency. After exiting the Champions League at the hands of PSG in March, they endured six league defeats in seven games. Though recent results—a draw at Liverpool and a win over Tottenham—hint at a late rally, their FA Cup final loss to Manchester City underscored their campaign’s fragility.

Injury concerns: Estêvão Willian and Jamie Gittens are injured, while Mykhaïlo Mudryk remains suspended. Malo Gusto, Roméo Lavia, and João Pedro are also doubtful. Enzo Fernández, who netted last time out, is set to partner Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer in midfield.

Chelsea’s probable lineup:

• Robert Sánchez
• Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella
• Moisés Caicedo, Andrey Santos
• Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández
• João Pedro

Manager: Calum McFarlane

head-to-head: chelsea’s dominance, but Sunderland’s resurgence

Historically, Chelsea holds the upper hand with 61 wins to Sunderland’s 43 in 126 meetings, including a 22-draw stalemate. The gap widened post-2003 under Roman Abramovich, as Chelsea ascended to European elite while Sunderland battled relegation and crises. Their most recent clash—a 2-1 Chelsea victory in October—was their 11th win in 14 since 2011, but those matches occurred when both sides were in vastly different competitive tiers.

Their last competitive encounter at the Stadium of Light saw Sunderland triumph 2-1 in a symbolic upset, signaling their resurgence. This season’s potential European berth adds extra spice to Sunday’s finale.

notable players who wore both jerseys

More than 30 players have donned the kits of both clubs, though their paths often diverged wildly. Many Chelsea stars of the 2010s—like Bertrand Traoré, a young Burkinabè talent who never fully broke through at Stamford Bridge before later joining Sunderland—embodied this contrast. Others, such as Marcos Alonso, thrived after leaving Sunderland on loan in 2014, later becoming a Chelsea legend under Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel.

The Dutch winger Boudewijn Zenden also straddled both eras, while Norwegian striker Tore André Flo left a mark at both clubs during contrasting periods of their histories.

Focus on the clash: With European dreams hanging in the balance, this match promises high stakes, tactical battles, and a chance for Sunderland to write a new chapter in their improbable revival—or for Chelsea to cling onto fading ambitions.

odds and betting outlook

• Sunderland win: 3.53
• Draw: 3.60
• Chelsea win: 1.97

Odds sourced from Betclic and subject to change before kickoff.