Sunday 24th May 2026
Sunderland v Chelsea – Premier League
Stadium of Light – Kick-Off: 16:00
Tickets & Match Coverage
Tickets: Tickets are sold out.
TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via Sky Sports.
Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)
Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.sbnation.com!
The build-up…
Well, as Robert Jenrick attempted unsuccessfully to say dramatically this week, we are here.
The final day of a brilliant season
for Sunderland AFC. When the final whistle went at Wembley exactly one year ago today, any talk of what would happen this season was brushed aside because we wanted to enjoy the day and what it meant. Sunderland had come back from the abyss.
We came back from four years in League One, which consisted of Wembley heartaches, and a wonder of whether or not the club would actually return to the top levels of English football. So what happened next was for another day, and that arrived a few weeks later when the fixtures were released.
As our eyes scanned the list, we started with a visit from West Ham, played the Visitors in December and March, had Citeh coming to town on New Year’s Day, and it would all end with Chelsea coming to town.
Thoughts immediately turned to the prospect of potentially needing a result against Chelsea to remain in the Premier League – but here we are, with the Lads just one point and two places worse off than today’s opponents, with qualification for Europe on the line. What. A. Year.
But, while there will be a lot of that talk going on all afternoon, there is a game to be played.
Despite an impressive performance last time out against Manchester United, and despite seeming invincible at home for much of this season, we’ve only won one in the last six at the Stadium of Light.
One of those recent defeats was, of course, a bizarre five-goal defeat to Forest, but despite that blow to the goals against column in the league table, only the top two and Brighton have conceded fewer goals on home soil than Le Bris’ boys this season.
Chelsea, on the other hand have had a basket case of a season. Until we beat them way back when they were almost unbeatable at home, this season, but they have won just one in seven at the Bridge, and would be in the bottom half on home form alone.
This, however, does mean their away form has been pretty impressive. Only Arsenal and Citeh have taken more points on the road this season, and only (not for too much longer…) Pep’s side have scored more goals away from home.
Those are some stats, but the sun is out, beer is flowing, pyros have been set off, and we don’t know when a day like this will come along again – enjoy!
The betting…
The bookies have the Lads at 5/2 to win the game. Chelsea are 19/20 to take all three points, and the draw is 5/2.
Head to head…at Sunderland
(All competitions)
- Sunderland wins: 32
- Draws: 10
- Chelsea wins: 21
- Sunderland goals: 118
- Chelsea goals: 83
Last time we met…at the Stadium of Light
Wednesday 14th December 2016
Premier League
Sunderland 0-1 Chelsea
[Fabregas 40’]
Sunderland: Pickford, Jones (Love), Kone, O’Shea, Djilobodji, van Aanholt, Denayer, Kirchoff (Larsson), Januzaj, Borini (Khazri), Defoe Substitutes not used: Mannone, Honeyman, Maja, Asoro
Chelsea: Courtois, Moses (Ivanovic), Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Pedro (Matic), Kante, Costa, Fabregas, Willian (Chalobah) Substitutes not used: Begovic, Zouma, Loftus-Cheek, Batshuayi
Attendance: 41,008
Prediction…
Sunderland 2-1 Chelsea
The Alonso effect might have given a little focus back to Chelsea players, but how many of those want to fight to qualify for a European competition that isn’t the Champions League? It’s just a feeling around it, like the West Ham and when the Visitors came to town, that it’s going to be our day.
