Sunderland vs Chelsea: prediction, H2H and probable lineups — 24.05.2026
One of the fixtures of Matchday 38 in the English Championship will take place on Sunday at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, where the local side hosts Chelsea. Here’s our preview and prediction for this showdown: both teams are still in the hunt for European football, so this final round is far from a formality - it’s a high-stakes clash where every mistake could prove costly.
Match preview
Sunderland started the season with a bang and even climbed into the leading pack, but the second half of the campaign quickly cooled Regis Le Bris’s side’s ambitions. Still, the Black Cats remain in contention for European qualification: they’ve picked up five points from their last three outings, with a 3-1 victory over Everton marking their first win in five matches.
The main concern for the hosts is the heart of their defence, where injuries to Omar Alderete and a suspension for Daniel Ballard could force an experimental centre-back pairing of Luke O’Nien and Nordi Mukiele. Sunderland have found life tough at home recently: four defeats in their last six matches and just two goals scored in that stretch suggest that the home crowd’s support hasn’t yet translated into consistent pressure on visiting teams.
Chelsea’s end to the campaign was a disaster, but at the most crucial moment, the Blues finally showed some signs of life. After six straight Premier League defeats, they first managed a draw against Liverpool and then beat Tottenham 2-1, snapping a winless league run that had lasted since March.
Still, problems persist for Mauricio Pochettino’s men: they narrowly lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City, and the attack continues to look unreliable. Joao Pedro could play with extra freedom to take risks, since he won’t be heading to the World Cup with Brazil, and his form might be key to how sharp Chelsea can be in the final third.
Probable lineups
- Sunderland: Mandava, O'Nien, Mukiele, Geertruida, Sadiki, Xhaka, Le Fée, Angulo, Hume, Brobbey.
- Chelsea: Sanchez, James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Santos, Palmer, Neto, Fernandez, Pedro.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Sunderland are unbeaten in three straight matches and beat Everton 3-1 in their last outing.
- Chelsea have won their final league match in nine of the past fourteen seasons, losing just once in the closing round during that span.
- In the seven Premier League games preceding their derby with Tottenham, Chelsea scored just twice.
Prediction
Sunderland will be fired up: for the club, a chance to qualify for European competition for the first time in decades is an opportunity that can overshadow fatigue and squad issues. However, their patchy home form and enforced changes in central defence leave them vulnerable against a side with plenty of individual quality up front.
Chelsea are far from their best, but the victory over Tottenham could restore at least some confidence ahead of this crucial decider. Expect a tense, cagey affair with few chances, but thanks to the class of Palmer, Pedro, and Fernandez, the Blues look slightly more likely to grind out a hard-fought win.
