Game Week 10 Predictions: Chelsea to win against Sunderland

Chelsea's inconsistency must be addressed if the Blues want to compete for honors this season. Will Chelsea come up great against Sunder...

Chelsea's inconsistency must be addressed if the Blues want to compete for honors this season. Will Chelsea come up great against Sunderland on Sunday? (Photo credit: DAZN)

Sunderland vs Chelsea

Stadium of Light

3:00pm

Sunderland sit bottom of the Premier League and need a result badly, while Chelsea are chasing a top-four place. On paper it looks one-sided, but Sunderland beat Chelsea home and away last season, so the visitors will not be taking anything for granted.

Sunderland are bottom with five points, at least two points from safety. The numbers are grim: they have won only once in nine league games this season, scored just seven goals, and lost 3-1 at newly promoted Coventry City last weekend.

Their European adventure also hit a wall on Thursday, when an unbeaten Europa League start ended with a 2-0 home defeat by Dinamo Zagreb. Pressure is building on manager Régis Le Bris, though the club’s hierarchy is reportedly not minded to remove him yet.

At home they have been hard to break down but toothless, as all four of their home Premier League games have been goalless at half-time. Chelsea lost both legs to Sunderland last season; are we expecting a repeat of that this season?

Chelsea are fourth and, under Xabi Alonso, have been inconsistent but are improving defensively. They have two clean sheets in their last three league games, and they come off a 2-0 win over Manchester United in which Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with a solo run and a chip, and Cole Palmer added a penalty. Unlike Sunderland, they have a full week of rest. Their league games have also been slow starters, with each of their last three league games 0-0 at half-time.

The fixture history is unusual. Last season, Sunderland won both matches against Chelsea to record their first league double over the Blues since 2000-01. The first was a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in October 2025 thanks to a late Chemsdine Talbi goal, and the second a 2-1 home win in May, with a first-half strike from Trai Hume and a Malo Gusto own goal.

Sunderland are now seeking three successive wins in this fixture for the first time since 2001, and the Stadium of Light has not been kind to Chelsea, who have won only one of their last five visits there and lost three. One preview described it as needing “a minor miracle” for Sunderland to repeat those results, which tells you how their form has changed.

Nordi Mukiele returns after missing the Europa League match, but Omar Alderete is suspended, and Dan Ballard remains out injured, so the top two centre-backs are unavailable. Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle are also out.

First-choice striker João Pedro and centre-back Maxence Lacroix are out with hamstring injuries, and Reece James has also been missing. Chelsea fans literally picked Estevao to start against Manchester United; we fancy him starting again.

Cole Palmer is the creative heart of Chelsea’s attack and a penalty taker who found the net against United. He has been in the headlines for being left out of the England squad, which may give him extra motivation.

Morgan Rogers has scored first in four of his last eight starts for Chelsea. With João Pedro out, his ability to drive from deep makes him a threat against Sunderland’s makeshift defense.

Bryan Brobbey and Enzo Le Fee are the two players who can turn things around for the Black Cats. Their involvement in Europe in midweek will impact their game, but Chelsea must be wary of them.

Sunderland will be organized and loud at home, and history suggests they can make life uncomfortable for Chelsea. But they have scored just seven goals in nine league games, have no senior centre-backs available apart from Mukiele, and face a Chelsea side that has improved defensively and has the attacking quality to punish mistakes.

The first half is likely to be tight, since neither side has been quick out of the blocks. I expect Chelsea to pull clear after the break, with Sunderland perhaps getting a consolation from a set piece.

Verdict: Chelsea to win