After a rollercoaster Premier League season, Sunderland and Chelsea face off in a must-watch finale at the Stadium of Light this Sunday. For the promoted Black Cats, a win could secure a historic European berth, while the Londoners fight to salvage a sliver of pride in a campaign that has spiraled out of control.
Sunderland—once mired in League One obscurity—has staged an improbable revival under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Juan Sartori. After climbing back to the top flight via the 2025 Championship playoffs, the club splashed over €100 million in last summer’s transfer window, landing Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fée, Brian Brobbey and Nordi Mukiele. Under manager Régis Le Bris, the Tynesiders stunned early-season pundits by topping the table for weeks, though a spring slump saw them slip to 10th. A dramatic 3-1 win at Everton last weekend kept European dreams flickering: they now trail 8th by a single point and 7th by two.
Key absentees for Sunderland include goalkeeper Simon Moore, suspended defender Daniel Ballard, and forwards Romaine Mundle and Bertrand Traoré. In attack, Brobbey and Le Fée—both on the scoresheet against the Toffees—are expected to lead the line, flanked by midfield general Xhaka.
Sunderland probable XI:
Robin Roefs – Lutsharel Geertruida, Nordi Mukiele, Luke O’Nien, Reinildo Mandava – Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki – Trai Hume, Enzo Le Fée, Nilson Angulo – Brian Brobbey
Coach: Régis Le Bris
Chelsea’s fading ambitions
Chelsea arrives with its reputation in tatters. A £1.5 billion takeover in 2022 promised stability, but four years on the club remains a revolving door of managers, transfers and tactical experiments. Despite lifting the 2025 UEFA Europa Conference and FIFA Club World Cup, the side has lurched from one crisis to the next. A humiliating UEFA Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain in March triggered a seven-game winless streak—six of them defeats—culminating in the sacking of Liam Rosenior after five straight reversals. The appointment of caretaker Calum McFarlane brought a glimmer of hope: draws at Liverpool and a victory over Tottenham have kept 7th place mathematically alive, but a 0-1 FA Cup final loss to Manchester City confirmed the season’s collapse.
Injuries further complicate matters. Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens and Mykhaïlo Mudryk are sidelined, while Malo Gusto, Roméo Lavia and João Pedro remain doubtful. Midfield will likely feature Enzo Fernández—who netted last time out—alongside Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer, the latter omitted from England’s 2026 World Cup squad despite a strong campaign.
Chelsea probable XI:
Robert Sánchez – Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella – Moisés Caicedo, Andrey Santos – Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández – João Pedro
Coach: Calum McFarlane
Where to watch and streaming options
French viewers can tune in to CANAL+ Live 6 from 17:00 local time or stream live via the CANAL+ digital platform. The match will also be covered by VAR referee Chris Kavanagh.
Head-to-head: Chelsea’s dominance, Sunderland’s resilience
Historically, Chelsea has held the upper hand in their 126-meeting rivalry, with 61 wins to Sunderland’s 43 and 22 draws. The gap widened markedly after Roman Abramovich’s takeover in 2003, as the Blues rose to European prominence while the Wearsiders struggled through relegations and crises. Their most recent victory—a 2-1 home win in October—extended a 10-4 record since 2011, yet those clashes occurred when both clubs inhabited different footballing realities. Sunderland’s away triumph this season marked a symbolic statement: the club is again a force to be reckoned with.
Players who bridged the divide
Over the decades, more than 30 footballers have worn both jerseys, embodying the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs. Marcos Alonso stands out: after reviving his career on loan at Sunderland in 2014, he returned to Chelsea to become a Premier League and Champions League winner under Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel. The burkinabè winger Bertrand Traoré, once a teenage prospect at Chelsea, has since found a second wind at Sunderland after stints at Villarreal and Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Dutch forward Boudewijn Zenden played for both sides in the early 2000s, while Norwegian striker Tore André Flo remains a cult hero at Chelsea despite an underwhelming spell at Sunderland in the early 2000s.
The stakes are high. For Sunderland, a win could rewrite history; for Chelsea, it’s a final chance to salvage something from a season that promised so much yet delivered so little.