Sunderland vs Chelsea preview

England flag 2025/2026 Premier League, England
Stadium of Light Sun, 24 May - 3:00 PM
Premier League
Sunderland SUN
Chelsea CHE
KICKOFF : Sun, 24 May - 3:00 PM
Round 38 Regular Season

CONTEXT

In the Premier League regular season of 2025/2026, Sunderland welcome Chelsea to the Stadium of Light for what promises to be a compelling domestic league encounter. Sunderland currently occupy 10th position in the standings while Chelsea sit just above in 8th, setting up an intriguing mid-table battle with implications for both sides. The home side brings a notable form score of 17.39 into the match, suggesting recent positive momentum that could challenge the visitors. Chelsea, however, enter as the stronger team overall according to power metrics, holding an edge that reflects their squad depth and quality. With both teams navigating a demanding schedule, tactical discipline and key individual performances will likely determine the outcome on the pitch. The atmosphere at the Stadium of Light adds an extra layer of intensity for the players involved.

TL;DR

  • Structural: Sunderland occupy 10th place domestically while Chelsea sit in 8th ahead of this Premier League regular season fixture.
  • Form: Sunderland enter with a form score of 17.39 compared to Chelsea's lower mark of 8.67.
  • Squad: Chelsea are the stronger side overall with a power score of 88.62 against Sunderland's 82.47.
  • Efficiency: Efficiency metrics show limited available data for both teams in this league matchup.
  • Transition: Transition opportunities will play a central role as both sides look to exploit open spaces.
  • Set pieces: Set piece data remains unavailable due to low confidence levels and proxy usage for both clubs.
  • xVariable: Chelsea hold a power advantage of 6.2 points heading into the contest at the Stadium of Light.
  • Market: Sunderland 26.5% (Δ+0.1%) | Draw 26.1% (Δ-0.1%) | Chelsea 47.4% (Δ-0.1%).
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
Jan 25 vs Team A
Feb 1 vs Team B
Feb 8 vs Team C
Sunderland R. Le Bris
R. Le Bris
VS
Chelsea C. McFarlane
C. McFarlane
1.28
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.16
1.33 i
Last 6 Opponents
Everton Rank: 87 W
Manchester United Rank: 92 D
Wolverhampton Wanderers Rank: 79 D
Nottingham Forest Rank: 87 L
Aston Villa Rank: 92 L
Tottenham Hotspur Rank: 84 W
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
0.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
Tottenham Hotspur Rank: 84 W
Liverpool Rank: 92 D
Nottingham Forest Rank: 88 L
Brighton & Hove Albion Rank: 90 L
Manchester United Rank: 92 L
Manchester City Rank: 99 L
7
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
7 - 2 - 21
21
No sidelined player data available.

Win Probabilities

Live Win Probability (90 Min)
Home Sunderland
26.5%
Draw
26.12%
Away Chelsea
47.38%

Movement

Changes since opening
Sunderland
+0.14%
Draw
-0.05%
Chelsea
-0.09%

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
82.47
88.62
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Sunderland
Chelsea
Power Score
82.47
88.62
League Position
10
8
Global Rank
46
18

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Sunderland — Opponent-weighted form score
Chelsea — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Sunderland Chelsea

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 30 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Sunderland SUN Home
30 matches
Chelsea CHE Away
Match Record
7
Wins
21
2
Draws
2
21
Losses
7
Goals
35
Goals Scored
69
69
Goals Conceded
35
-34
Goal Difference
+34
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-05-22T00:09:49+00:00

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Pitch
R. Roefs
Netherlands
22 R. Roefs
L. Geertruida
Netherlands
6 L. Geertruida
N. Mukiele Mulere
France
20 N. Mukiele Mulere
O. Alderete Fernández
Paraguay
15 O. Alderete Fernández
R. Mandava
Mozambique
17 R. Mandava
G. Xhaka
Switzerland
34 G. Xhaka
N. Sadiki
DR Congo
27 N. Sadiki
T. Hume
Northern Ireland
32 T. Hume
E. Le Fée
France
28 E. Le Fée
N. Angulo Ramírez
Ecuador
10 N. Angulo Ramírez
B. Brobbey
Netherlands
9 B. Brobbey
R. Lynch Sanchez
Spain
1 R. Lynch Sanchez
M. Cucurella
Spain
3 M. Cucurella
J. Hato
Netherlands
21 J. Hato
W. Fofana
France
29 W. Fofana
J. Acheampong
England
34 J. Acheampong
M. Caicedo Corozo
Ecuador
25 M. Caicedo Corozo
A. Nascimento dos Santos
Brazil
17 A. Nascimento dos Santos
E. Fernández
Argentina
8 E. Fernández
C. Palmer
England
10 C. Palmer
P. Lomba Neto
Portugal
7 P. Lomba Neto
L. Delap
England
9 L. Delap

General Information

Date & Time
May 24, 2026, 03:00 PM
Competition
2025/2026 Premier League, England · Round 38 · Regular Season
Stadium
Stadium of Light
Capacity
48707
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Chris Kavanagh
Ian Hussin
Daniel Cook
Lewis Smith

Lineup

Referee : Chris Kavanagh

Starting XI ▼

22
Robin Roefs
Robin Roefs Goalkeeper
6.97
6
Lutsharel Geertruida
Lutsharel Geertruida Defender
6.7
15
Omar Alderete
Omar Alderete Defender
6.84
17
Reinildo Mandava
Reinildo Mandava Defender
6.74
20
Nordi Mukiele
Nordi Mukiele Defender
6.99
27
Noah Sadiki
Noah Sadiki Midfielder
6.71
28
Enzo Le Fée
Enzo Le Fée Midfielder
6.99
34
Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka Midfielder
7.15
9
Brian Brobbey
Brian Brobbey Attacker
6.7
10
Nilson Angulo
Nilson Angulo Attacker
6.48
32
Trai Hume
Trai Hume Attacker
6.77
Referee : Chris Kavanagh

Starting XI ▼

1
Robert Sánchez
Robert Sánchez Goalkeeper
6.79
3
Marc Cucurella
Marc Cucurella Defender
6.87
21
Jorrel Hato
Jorrel Hato Defender
6.57
29
Wesley Fofana
Wesley Fofana Defender
6.93
34
Josh Acheampong
Josh Acheampong Defender
6.47
10
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer Midfielder
6.97
17
Andrey Santos
Andrey Santos Midfielder
6.76
25
Moisés Caicedo
Moisés Caicedo Midfielder
7.06
7
Pedro Neto
Pedro Neto Attacker
6.95
8
Enzo Fernández
Enzo Fernández Attacker
7.26
9
Liam Delap
Liam Delap Attacker
6.61

CONCLUSION

This Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light features two sides separated by just two league positions yet displaying contrasting recent form trends. Sunderland's higher form score offers them a platform to press early and test Chelsea's defensive organization. The visitors counter with superior overall power metrics and squad quality that could prove decisive in sustained periods of play. Set piece and efficiency details remain sparse, shifting focus toward open play execution and midfield control. Both teams must balance attacking intent with defensive caution given the tight standings battle. Expect a measured contest where individual moments and tactical adjustments shape the final result in this regular season encounter.