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Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Sunday 8 November, 2pm
Sunderland were booed off after losing at home to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday and sit last in the Premier League, so Sunday's visit of Chelsea gives Regis Le Bris one more chance to steady things before the international break.
The Blues, fourth in the table and rested after beating Manchester United, arrive as favourites, and anyone weighing up the match odds can compare bookmakers on our list of the best betting sites for football.
Sunderland vs Chelsea Preview and Form Guide
Sunderland have taken just one win from nine league games, a 1-0 home success against Fulham on August 30, and they have lost five of the last six.
The Black Cats lost 3-1 away to Coventry City on October 31, and the stoppage-time red card shown to Omar Alderete rules him out of this game.
Home form is the bigger worry, because the hosts have scored only once in four league matches at the Stadium of Light, the goal that beat Fulham, before losing to Arsenal and Brighton and drawing 0-0 with Leeds United.
Falling behind has become a habit, since Le Bris' side have gone a goal down first in seven of nine league matches and remain the only Premier League side yet to lead at the interval.
Thursday's 2-0 home defeat to Dinamo Zagreb was their first loss of the Europa League league phase, and a 3-2 League Cup win over Brentford on October 28 is their only victory in six matches across all competitions.
Brian Brobbey's three league goals all arrived in the 5-3 defeat away to Manchester City on September 20, and the Wearside club has found the net only once in four league games since then.
Chelsea have moved into the top four on the back of a 2-0 win over Manchester United on October 31, though that came after a home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and a penalty shootout loss away to Liverpool in the League Cup.
The win brought a first league clean sheet at Stamford Bridge since January, with Morgan Rogers scoring and Cole Palmer converting a penalty.
Xabi Alonso's side lead the division in shots on target with 53 and rank second for shots on target faced with 50, which explains a goal difference of only +4 despite 19 goals scored.
Early goals are another strength, with nine of those 19 arriving within the opening five minutes of a half, while the next best side has three.
Romeo Lavia won possession 14 times against United, the most by a Chelsea player in a league game since January 2023, and Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki will have to match that intensity.
On the road the picture is mixed, with a 3-2 win away to Fulham and a 2-0 win away to Everton offset by a 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal and a 3-0 loss away to Brentford, which makes two victories from four league trips.
Alonso, appointed in May after Liam Rosenior's 106-day spell, is in his first Premier League season as a manager.
Sunderland vs Chelsea Team News and Predicted Lineups
Sunderland team news
Alderete is suspended for one match, and Daniel Ballard (hamstring), Habib Diarra (muscle) and Romaine Mundle (knee) are all expected to miss out until the international break is over.
Nordi Mukiele has been in concussion protocol but Le Bris expects him to be fit, which would put him back in defence next to Kevin Danso.
Four half-time changes were made against Dinamo Zagreb, and several alterations to that line-up are predicted for Sunday.
Sunderland predicted lineup vs Chelsea
Robin Roefs; Trai Hume, Danso, Mukiele, Reinildo Mandava; Sadiki, Xhaka; Thomas Meunier, Enzo Le Fee, Nilson Angulo; Brobbey
Chelsea team news
Maxence Lacroix, Reece James, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato are all out for the west Londoners, and Alonso has indicated that the latter will need several more weeks.
Emiliano Martinez, who fractured his jaw last month, trained this week in a protective mask and is predicted to return in goal if he passes a late fitness check, with Mike Penders, who did not concede against United, the alternative.
Moises Caicedo sat out training this week with discomfort that is separate from his earlier calf problem, so Jordan Henderson, fit again after illness, is in the predicted line-up alongside Lavia.
Geovany Quenda has a muscle problem and Aaron Anselmino has only just returned to training, so both are doubtful.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Sunderland
Martinez; Levi Colwill, Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana, Pep Chavarria; Henderson, Lavia; Estevao, Palmer, Rogers; Pedro Neto
Head-to-Head: Sunderland vs Chelsea
The two league meetings last season went to Sunderland, 2-1 away on October 25, 2025 and 2-1 at the Stadium of Light on May 24.
The Black Cats ended last season seventh and in the Europa League, while the west Londoners missed out on European football.
Another win would give Sunderland three in a row over Chelsea in the league, something they have not done since a run spanning December 1999 to March 2001.
The visitors' last win on Wearside came in December 2016, when Cesc Fabregas scored just before half-time in a 1-0 victory.
Le Bris has won both of his games against the Stamford Bridge side, while Alonso is meeting the Wearside club for the first time in charge of his own team.
Our Sunderland vs Chelsea Prediction and Tips
Anyone comparing these prices can use our top 10 gambling sites UK ranking, while the brand new betting sites list covers recently launched bookmakers.
Coral have priced a card for Mandava at 3.40, and our Coral review breaks down their football markets.
Odds correct as of Saturday, 7 November 2026, 09:00 GMT.
- Rogers has five league goals, joint top of Chelsea's scoring list in the league.
- Palmer has three league goals and three assists this season, and he has scored 19 of 21 league penalties for the club.
- Neto has 38 touches in the opposition box, third at Chelsea behind Palmer and Rogers, so he is likely to supply constant pressure on the Sunderland back line.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi is a sports writer with more than 1,000 published articles covering football and major sporting events worldwide. His knowledge spans leagues across the globe, including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Combining research, insight and creativity, he enjoys finding fresh angles and delivering engaging coverage of the game's biggest stories.