How should Chelsea line up against Sunderland in the final match of the season?
Sunderland vs. Chelsea, Premier League: You choose the starting lineup
COBHAM, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Interim Head Coach Calum McFarlane of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on May 18, 2026 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) | Chelsea FC via Getty Images We’re done to just one, one final game in what’s been a rather disappointing season. We enter the weekend in eighth and can finish no higher than seventh.
We could however drop as low as tenth. Seventh and eighth places would entail some European football next season, Europa League for the former and Conference League for the latter. For Europa to happen, we’ll need to win and have Brighton drop points against Manchester United.
If we only manage a draw, things get complicated. If we lose, Conference League will be the best we could hope for. It’s been a long season and everyone’s tired, beat up, and just ready to be done I’m sure.
But hopefully we don’t just phone it in. There is something at stake here, and Xabi Alonso will surely be watching (if that helps with motivation). João Pedro missed out with a knock midweek while Levi Colwill was rested, but they both should be available this weekend.