Sunderland Are On The Rise…Bring On Chelsea!

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Granit Xhaka of Sunderland controls the ball during the Premier League match between Everton and Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium on May 17, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images) | Getty Images If one hallmark of the longtime Sunderland fan is a lingering sense of pessimism and a worry that we can’t enjoy the heady times and the memorable moments without being shadowed by an imminent sense of doom and feeling vulnerable to a sudden downturn in fortune, what of the emotions we’re all doubtless feeling at the moment? It was writ large in the reactions of the players when Brian Brobbey, Enzo Le Fée and Wilson Isidor turned the tide at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, rendering Merlin Röhl’s opener inconsequential and giving everyone associated with Sunderland another magical memory during this season of unexpected thrills and promise.

It was expressed in the celebrations of the travelling red and white contingent packed into a corner of Everton’s shiny new stadium and who had a ringside seat as we rallied from 1-0 down to emerge victorious. It was all there — red, white and true. Not a flash in the pan or a fluky turnaround but the kind of victory that this side seems to take pride in securing and that we thoroughly deserved.

A Sunday trip to what became our own Mersey paradise led to a hugely impressive away victory and a win that’ll carry the Lads into Sunday’s final game against Chelsea with their belief soaring and our chances of securing European football (words I can scarcely believe I’ve typed) alive. OK, we need to summon the energy to see off the Blues and for the cards to fall favourably elsewhere, but to even be in this position is quite staggering and it’s also no accident. Of course, getting one over on David Moyes — whose destructive presence in the Sunderland dugout during that ill-fated 2016/2017 campaign set in motion the process that we’ve spent the best part of a decade recovering from — was deeply satisfying, but this was also much more.

From Stamford Bridge to Selhurst Park; Anfield, Elland Road, St James’ Park and Bramley-Moore Dock, the Lads and their fans have done themselves proud on the road this season. Coupled with our once-fearsome home record, the net result is a Sunderland side that’s given itself a wonderful chance of becoming a genuinely competitive top flight outfit — which is all I’ve ever wanted. Are we watching a perfect football team, one without flaws or weaknesses that may need to be addressed if we want to ensure that 2026/2027 sees further progress?