Sunderland vs – Sunderland go after the first double over Chelsea since 2000-01, while Chelsea look for another away victory and a way to build on a league resurgence after ending a seven-game winless run.
On a weekend when small margins decide Premier League fortunes. Sunderland are chasing something they rarely get to taste: the chance to beat Chelsea twice in the same league season. They already did it once—2-1 at Stamford Bridge in October—and now they want to complete the double for the first time since 2000-01.
Chelsea arrive with a quiet kind of confidence stitched into the numbers. They’ve lost just one of their last 13 Premier League away games against Sunderland (W10 D2). a record that includes a 3-2 defeat in May 2016. But Sunderland’s season has had its own momentum. They’ve recovered a league-high 22 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season. 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. The message is plain: when Sunderland fall behind, they don’t usually stay down.
Chelsea, though, are trying to keep a different kind of rhythm. Their last win at Spurs came 2-1. 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. And after a 3-1 win at Everton. Sunderland will be watching Chelsea carefully—because Sunderland themselves 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).
The contrast between how the sides finish seasons is another thread running through this match. Sunderland have the lowest win rate in their final game of the season among teams to have played more than five Premier League campaigns. winning just one of their 16 matches (6% – D3 L12). Chelsea. meanwhile. have lost their final league match in just two of the last 14 seasons—going down 3-0 at Newcastle in 2017-18 and 2-1 at Aston Villa in 2020-21.
Those storylines lean heavily on players who’ve been turning games in small moments into swings. For Chelsea, Enzo Fernández is having his best Premier League season in goals and involvement: 10 goals and 14 goal involvements. His last two league goals for the Blues have come from outside the box. after his first 17 all came from inside the area.
Sunderland’s threat is threaded through Granit Xhaka. No Sunderland player has more Premier League assists this season than the Swiss midfielder (6). Only in 2017-18 and 2022-23—both with 7—has he provided more. Xhaka also laid on two assists in his last home game against Chelsea, with Arsenal in May 2023. If Sunderland are going to create the chances needed for a second win over the same opponent. it’s the kind of output that can decide it.
Up front, João Pedro brings his own urgency. He’s been involved in seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances—6 goals and 1 assist. And he’s scored in both of his last two league games against newly promoted opposition. Sunderland’s newly-promoted momentum has been real this season; so has the risk that a striker who’s found a rhythm can make it disappear quickly.
The swing across this fixture is clear even before a ball is kicked: Sunderland are aiming to turn early frustration into late control again. completing a double over Chelsea that hasn’t happened in the league since 2000-01. Chelsea are trying to keep the trend moving—away results. a recent boost after stopping their slump. and a lineup with players who have been quietly stacking numbers for weeks. Whoever imposes their pace first could leave the other staring at the same question—how did we let this slip?.
Sunderland vs Chelsea Premier League preview team news head-to-head Enzo Fernández Granit Xhaka João Pedro