Preview: Sunderland and Chelsea chase European qualification on final day

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By Alex Roberts

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What a return to the Premier League it’s been for Sunderland. Many had them to go straight back down, but Régis Le Bris has done a sensational job, and the future couldn’t be brighter at the Stadium of Light. 

As for Chelsea, the complete opposite can be said. Enzo Maresca walking away, the disastrous Liam Rosenior experiment, and no Champions League football is a quick summation of their season. Xabi Alonso has his work cut out.

One door closes, another one opens

This game needs to be the end of a largely disappointing era at Stamford Bridge. BlueCo’s failure to qualify for the Champions League for three of the four seasons they’ve been in charge is a damning inditement of their leadership.

After a “period of reflection”, the powers that be decided to hire Alonso, which is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, we’ll just have to wait and see if Chelsea’s power-hungry sporting directors live up to their word.

There are also questions about whether Chelsea even want to win this game. For Europa League qualification, they’ll need to do just that, and hope Man United beat Brighton in their game, a spot in the Conference League may not be as helpful as a one-game-a-week season for Alonso’s first season. We guess time will tell.

A fairytale ending?

It feels like forever ago that Sunderland were in League One, with that David Brent-esque executive hoping to get the fans “pumped” with Darude, Sandstorm as the club fell apart. Now they’re back where they belong.

Sitting in tenth with 51 points, a win here would see Sunderland leap frog Chelsea, and although qualification for Europe will depend on how Brentford fare against Liverpool. Their home form is poor, though, with just one win in their last five.

Sunderland are a club on the up, with proper owners, a highly skilled head coach, and a set of players that have built a great bond with the fans. European qualification may not happen, but they’re on course to finish above Newcastle, and that’s almost as important!

Team news

Sunderland defender Omar Alderete will have his fitness assed ahead of kick-off after going off in the 23rd minute of last weekend’s 3-1 win over Everton.

Romaine Mundle (thigh), Bertrand Traoré (knee) and Simon Moore (wrist), are all missing through injury, while Dan Ballard will serve the final match of a three-game suspension after his controversial red card against Wolves at the start of May.

João Pedro was left out of Chelsea’s squad for their 2-1 win over Tottenham due to a ‘knock’ but the more likely case is a broken heart after being sacrificed for an already broken Neymar in Brazil’s World Cup squad. He could be back for this one.

Roméo Lavia is touch-and-go, again, while Estêvão (thigh), Jesse Derry (head) and Jamie Gittens (thigh) are all out for Chelsea. It’ll be interesting to see what formation Calum McFarlane plays with Alonso’s imminent arrival.

Prediction

We reckon Sunderland are gonna have a major case of ‘wanting it more’ at the Stadium of Light on Sunday. It’s unlikely Chelsea will be too fussed either way, so, 2-1 to the home side. 

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(Cover image from IMAGO)

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