Sunderland and Chelsea will be chasing European qualification when they lock horns at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
An action-packed 2025/26 Premier League season will reach a dramatic end on Sunday with Gameweek 38, even though the Premier League title race is over. However, with several clubs still chasing European qualification, Sunderland vs Chelsea will be one of the most intriguing matches to look forward to this weekend.
Sunderland will end the 2025/26 season as one of the surprise packages, even if they fail to qualify for a European competition. Few would have given the Wearside outfit a chance to remain in the Premier League, let alone finish in the top half of the table. So, with the Black Cats still in contention to qualify for the UEFA Europa League and the Europa Conference League, they have belied all predictions around them nine months ago.
Like the home side, the visitors have been far away from the widespread expectations around them, albeit for the wrong reasons. With Enzo Maresca starting his second season in charge of Chelsea, they would have hoped for another top-five finish and a trophy win.
Instead, the Blues have no chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, and they will end the campaign without an honour. Worse still has been the managerial carousel at the West London club, as two managers have left Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior losing their jobs. So, Calum McFarlane will end the campaign as the caretaker head coach.
The reverse fixture saw Sunderland come from a goal down to beat Chelsea 2-1, with Chemsdine Talbi scoring the late winner. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Geertruida, Mukiele, O’Nien, Mandava; Xhaka, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Neto, Palmer, Fernandez; Joao Pedro
While Cole Palmer, Brian Brobbey, and Granit Xhaka were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Enzo Fernandez as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.
The Argentine international has enjoyed his best Premier League season in terms of both goals (10) and goal involvements (14). Meanwhile, Fernandez’s last two league goals for the Blues have come from outside the box, after his first 17 all came from inside the area. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner will be the go-to player for Thomas Tuchel this weekend.
Sunday’s season-ending match at the Stadium of Light features two teams that have not been at their best in recent weeks. So, with both sides pushing for European qualification, a scratchy game is on the cards, featuring plenty of chances.
While Sunderland’s defensive showings at home have been top-notch, they have shown a soft underbelly in recent weeks. On the other hand, Chelsea’s output in the final third has improved in recent showings, and their chance-creation has never been a significant issue. Ultimately, there may not be much to separate the two sides, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.
