Sunderland’s remarkable first season back in the Premier League was rewarded with Europa League football after they beat 10-man Chelsea 2-1 on the final day. 

2025/2026 Premier League

2 – 1

• Trai Hume (25′)
• Gusto (50′ OG)
• Cole Palmer (56′)

Match Report 

With Brentford drawing at Liverpool and Brighton losing to Manchester United, Regis Le Bris’ side jumped up to seventh and will play in Europe for the first time in 52 years.

Both sides fashioned early chances as Cole Palmer tested Robin Roefs four minutes in before Enzo Le Fee stung the palms of Robert Sanchez at the other end soon after.

Nordi Mukiele then fired wildly across goal, and Nilson Angulo almost punished an error by Jorrel Hato as Sunderland ramped up the pressure, and their persistence was rewarded in the 25th minute by an unlikely source. 

A long punt upfield from Roefs was flicked on by Luke O’Nien for Trai Hume to volley in at the near post, with visiting goalkeeper Sanchez caught on his toes for the opener. 

Brian Brobbey then spurned a glorious opportunity to double Sunderland’s lead 54 seconds after the restart, but he played a big part in the Black Cats’ second five minutes into the second half when his scuffed attempt was turned into the net by Malo Gusto’s outstretched leg. 

However, Chelsea halved the deficit almost immediately through Palmer, whose shot from the edge of the box somehow evaded Roefs’ grasp, but the visitors’ hopes of a comeback were all but ended in the 62nd minute. 

Wesley Fofana received his second booking for pulling back Wilson Isidor, but even with a man down, Chelsea pushed for a leveller that ultimately never came as the full-time whistle was greeted by cheers of euphoria on Wearside. 

Data Debrief: From League One to Europe

Just four years ago, Sunderland were playing in the third tier of the English football pyramid, but fast-forward to now, they are preparing for life back on the European stage after a stellar first season back in the Premier League. 

The Black Cats finished on 54 points this season, the most by a newly promoted side since Leeds United in 2020-21 (59), while their seventh-place finish is the best by a promoted team since Wolves in 2018-19 (also seventh).

For Chelsea, meanwhile, they will begin the Xabi Alonso era without European football, and their end-of-season form proved to be their downfall. Since the start of March, the Blues have lost more Premier League games than any other side (eight).

And they were comfortably second-best again on Sunday. They finished with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.9 from their eight shots compared to Sunderland’s tally of 1.93 xG from their 21 attempts