Sunderland vs Chelsea (Premier League): odds and bets 24.05.2026

The final matchday at the Stadium of Light (Sunday 24 May 2026) and with a very significant prize at stake: both sides still have a real chance of qualifying for Europe. In fact, they’re neck and neck in the table: Chelsea 8th with 52 points and Sunderland 10th with 51, so this isn’t just any old ‘farewell match’.

When it comes to betting, I focus on two key factors: Chelsea’s competitive reliability when there’s something at stake (despite internal turmoil), and the Stadium of Light factor, where Sunderland have been a tough nut to crack: 8 wins in 18 home league games, and they’ve already beaten Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in October. There’s no room for complacency.

Sunderland

Le Bris’s Sunderland have been one of the stories of the season: newly promoted and heading into matchday 38 with a chance of European football. Overall, their record is that of a ‘serious side’: 40 goals scored and 47 conceded, with 13 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats.

Their recent run is curious, as it mixes heavy defeats with signs of maturity: they were coming off a 0-5 thrashing by Nottingham Forest and a 4-3 loss at Villa Park, but then bounced back with two competitive draws (1-1 vs Wolves and 0-0 vs Manchester United) and capped it off with a very creditable away win: Everton 1-3 Sunderland. That last match, to me, says a lot about the team: when they have space, they run with purpose and get players into the box.

At home, too, I feel they’re a team that grows in stature thanks to the stadium’s support (and on a day like this, even more so). But they also have a clear weakness: if forced to defend very close to their own area for long periods, they struggle with crosses from the flanks and second-ball situations. And against Chelsea, that’s dangerous if you’re too cautious.

Chelsea

Chelsea arrive under pressure and in a special context: it’s Calum McFarlane’s final match in charge before the managerial change, and they’re also heavily reliant on the result to secure a European spot. They’re coming off a midweek win against Tottenham, which means they have their fate in their own hands to achieve their objective if they get a result at Sunderland.

Statistically speaking, their season has been one of ups and downs but with more firepower than their opponents: 57 goals scored and 50 conceded, with 14 wins, 10 draws and 13 defeats. This is not a Chelsea side that blows opponents away, but one that, when it takes the lead, knows how to play for time and doesn’t need to dominate for 70 minutes to win.

That said, they arrive with a list of issues that complicates the picture. In the build-up, Mudryk is suspended and there are several doubts and injuries (including João Pedro and others carrying knocks), so I expect a more pragmatic Chelsea: compact blocks, well-timed transitions and a strong focus on not losing the ball in dangerous areas.

Referee: Chris Kavanagh

The appointed referee is Chris Kavanagh. In terms of cards, he’s a fairly ‘standard Premier League, verging on strict’ type: he averages around 4 cards and some 22 fouls per match, so he’s not one to let the game turn into a free-for-all without intervention.

In a tense clash for European places, with two teams that rely heavily on the counter-attack, I do see value in moderate yellow card markets (without going for extremely high lines). If Sunderland have to stop counter-attacks or cut out Palmer/the attacking midfielders on the ball, ‘silly’ yellow cards for tactical fouls tend to crop up.