Following Tuesday’s win against Tottenham, the eighth-placed Blues can qualify for either the Europa League or Conference League, depending on Sunday’s results.

With one match remaining, Sunderland sit tenth on 51 points, their highest top-flight tally since earning 57 points to finish seventh in 2000/01.

They are one point behind Chelsea and Brentford. The Black Cats are aiming to qualify for Europe for the second time – and first since 1973/74 when they were in the Cup Winners’ Cup.

Head-to-head

Chelsea return to Sunderland for the first time in more than nine years. Our previous visit to the Stadium of Light came in December 2016, when a goal from Cesc Fabregas just before half-time earned a 1-0 win. Future England international Jordan Pickford was in goal for Sunderland.

Chelsea have lost just one of our past 13 Premier League visits to the Stadium of Light (ten wins, two draws), with that defeat coming in May 2016.

Sunderland won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in October. Alejandro Garnacho gave Chelsea an early lead in the fourth minute, but substitute Chemsdine Talbi struck the winner for the visitors in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

This fixture has produced 121 goals in 33 Premier League matches, averaging 3.7 goals per game.

Chelsea are aiming to prevent Sunderland securing a double over us for the fifth time, and first since the 2000/01 campaign.

This will be the eighth time Sunderland have faced Chelsea in their final game of a league campaign, losing each of the last four, most recently in 2016/17.

Chelsea’s oldest average-age starting XI was 31 years and 336 days, in the 2-0 defeat at Sunderland’s Roker Park on 18 April 1931. David Calderhead was our manager.

Head-to-head (all competitions)

Played: 126
Won: 61
Drawn: 22
Lost: 43

Last five meetings at Stadium of Light

4 Dec 2013 | PL W 4-3 | Lampard, Hazard 2, own goal
17 Dec 2013 | League Cup QF L 1-2 aet | Lampard
29 Nov 2014 | Premier League D 0-0
7 May 2016 | Premier League L 2-3 | Diego Costa, Matic
14 Dec 2016 | Premier League W 1-0 | Fabregas

Biggest win for each team:

Chelsea 7-2 Sunderland | 2009/10 | Premier League
Sunderland 4-0 Chelsea | 1909/10, 1912/13, 1934/35 | Division One

Chelsea’s biggest win at Sunderland was a 4-2 Premier League victory during the 2010/11 season.

Chelsea stats

The Blues are aiming for back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since a run of four wins in January and February.

Chelsea have won on two of the past five occasions we have ended our Premier League campaign with an away game, including the most recent against Nottingham Forest last season, which secured Champions League qualification.

We have gained 14 points from losing positions this season.

Chelsea are on course to have the Premier League’s youngest average starting XI again this season (24 years, 192 days), 298 days younger than Bournemouth, the next-youngest side.

Only Arsenal (35) and Manchester City (33) have won more away points in the Premier League this season than Chelsea (26).

The Blues have conceded in each of our last 15 Premier League matches – our longest run without a clean sheet in the competition since a 17-game spell between March and August 1991. Our last away clean sheet in the Premier League was at Bournemouth on 6 December.

No central midfielder has scored more Premier League goals than Enzo Fernandez this season (10).

Joao Pedro has been involved in seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances (six goals, one assist), and has scored in both of his last two league games against opposition promoted the season before.

Chelsea have won one of five Premier League games against promoted teams this season, drawing two and losing two. That lone victory came at Burnley in November.

Premier League scorers
Joao Pedro 15, Fernandez 10 (2 pens), Palmer 9 (5 pens), Neto 5, Caicedo 3, Chalobah 3, Gusto 2, Estevao 2, James 2, Acheampong 1, Cucurella 1, Delap 1, Garnacho 1, Santos 1, own goal 1

Assists
Joao Pedro 5, Neto 5, Cucurella 4, Fernandez 4, Garnacho 4, James 4, Gusto 3, Estevao 2, Gittens 2, Caicedo 1, W Fofana 1, Guiu 1, Palmer 1, Sanchez 1

Most minutes played
Fernandez 3,031, Sanchez 2,951, Chalobah 2,757, Caicedo 2,717, Cucurella 2,620, Joao Pedro 2,584, Neto 2,578, Gusto 2,182, James 1,923, Palmer 1,875

Milestones

Against Tottenham, Trevoh Chalobah made his 150th appearance for the club when he came on for Josh Acheampong.

Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro and Robert Sanchez are all one game away from a half century of games for Chelsea this season.

Sunderland stats

This season’s Premier League stats

Most minutes played (max 3,330): Roefs 3,060, Hume 2,947, Le Fee 2,845, Xhaka 2,813
Most goals: Brobbey 7, Isidor 6, Le Fee 5, Talbi 4
Most assists: Xhaka 6, Le Fee 6, Mukiele 4, Diarra 2
Most duels won: Mukiele 176, Hume 172, Ballard 168, Xhaka 154
Clean sheets: Roefs 10, Ellborg 1
Most fouls conceded: Alderete 34, Mukiele 32, Brobbey 31, Hume 31, Mandava 31, Sadiki 31
Most yellow cards: Hume 9, Sadiki 8, Mandava 7, Xhaka 7
Red cards: Ballard 1, Mandava 1, O’Nien 1

Sunderland are looking to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to four games since a 5-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in April (one win, two draws).

They have lost four of their last six home Premier League games (one draw, one win).

Among teams with more than five Premier League seasons, Sunderland have the worst record on the final day, winning only one of 16 matches (6%), with three draws and 12 defeats.

Sunderland have gained more points from losing positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (22). It is their most ever in a single campaign in the competition.

Only Wolves (seven), Burnley (eight) and Nottingham Forest (10) have opened the scoring in fewer Premier League games than Sunderland this season (12).

The Black Cats are one of three sides still unbeaten when scoring first (seven wins, five draws), along with Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.

No side has scored fewer first-half goals than Sunderland (12) in the Premier League this season, with the Black Cats netting a league-high 70 per cent of their goals this term after half-time (28/40).

Only Arsenal, Manchester City and Crystal Palace have kept more clean sheets than Sunderland in the Premier League this season (11). It is the most by a promoted club in a single campaign since Leeds in 2020/21 (12).

Sunderland have drawn 12 Premier League games this season, only having more draws in the 2014/15 campaign (17).

The reverse fixture is the only time Regis Le Bris has managed a team against Chelsea.

Last five Sunderland results (all PL)

Aston Villa (A) | L 3-4
Nottingham Forest (H) | L 0-5
Wolves (A) | D 1-1
Manchester United (H) | D 0-0
Everton (A) | W 3-1

Last Premier League line-up

Everton 1-3 Sunderland
Sunday 17 May

Team (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Geertruida, Mukiele, Alderete (O’Nien 23), Mandava; Xhaka (c), Sadiki (Diarra 77); Hume (Talbi 60), Le Fee, Angulo (Rigg 77); Brobbey (Isidor 77)
Goals: Brobbey 59, Le Fee 81, Isidor 90+1

Discipline

Sunderland's Dan Ballard is suspended.

Match officials

Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Dan Cook, Ian Hussin
Fourth official: Lewis Smith
VAR: Matthew Donohue
Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart

Chris Kavanagh is taking charge of his fourth Chelsea match this season. He previously officiated our wins at Nottingham Forest in October and Charlton in January, as well as last month’s 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City.