Sunderland and Chelsea meet at the Stadium of Light with both sides looking to secure a place in European football for next season.
Having overcome Tottenham 2-1 on Tuesday, Chelsea head to Wearside in eighth position in the Premier League table and primed to ensure Xabi Alonso will be inheriting a team in a European competition. Eighth would secure a place in the Conference League, which Chelsea won last season, while seventh would be good enough for Europa League football.
The Blues will move into seventh with a win if Brighton and Hove Albion fail to beat Manchester United. A draw will be enough for eighth if Brentford fail to win at Liverpool.
Chelsea would surely prefer Europa League football as it would open up an extra potential pathway into the Champions League.
By contrast, Sunderland would be delighted with any form of European football to cap a superb first season back in the top flight.
Sunderland have made just a single appearance in continental competition, which came in the 1973-74 European Cup Winners’ Cup after their FA Cup triumph over Leeds United the previous season.
A win will be enough for Sunderland to at least finish eighth and get into the Conference League, unless both Brighton and Brentford win their respective games.
And manager Régis Le Bris is relishing the opportunity to write another chapter in the club’s history by completing a double over the Blues.
“This game is a good opportunity to celebrate the season at home in front of our fans,” Le Bris said.
“At the minute, we have 51 points and the opportunity to get three more, which is impressive for our first season back in the Premier League.
“We have grown, learned, improved and struggled at times which is normal in the league. If everything aligns elsewhere, maybe something exceptional can happen, but it’s not fully in our hands.”
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Team news for Sunderland v Chelsea
Sunderland will be without Chemsdine Talbi due to a muscle injury, while Omar Alderete is a doubt after sustaining a knock in the win at Everton.
Chelsea talisman João Pedro and defender Levi Colwill are both in contention to return for the Blues, as is Reece James after being rested against Tottenham.
Predicted line-ups for Sunderland v Chelsea
Sunderland: Roefs; Geertruida, Mukiele, O’Nien, Mandava; Xhaka, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Neto, Palmer, Fernandez; Joao Pedro
Where to watch Sunderland v Chelsea: TV and online streams
Sunderland v Chelsea will be broadcast on Sky Sports Plus and will be available to stream via Sky Go.
Stats for Sunderland v Chelsea
- Following their 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in October, Sunderland are looking to complete the double over Chelsea for the first time since 2000- 01.
- Chelsea have lost just 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).
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 won 2-1 against Spurs last time out, ending a seven-game winless run in the league during which they’d 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 (v Newcastle & Spurs).
- 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 newly promoted side in a single campaign in the competition, behind only West Brom’s 27 in 2010-11.
Prediction for Sunderland v Chelsea
Both teams have huge motivation to claim a European place next season, but with Pedro back in the mix for the visitors, the Blues’ extra quality should tell in a tight game.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Chelsea
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