Chelsea hosts newly promoted Sunderland after UCL win over Ajax.

Chelsea vs. Sunderland kicks off at 15:00 [GMT+1] on Saturday, October 25, at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea will host newly-promoted Sunderland at Stamford Bridge in what promises to be a fascinating Premier League clash. The Blues, who have been formidable at home this year, are coming off the back of Wednesday’s 5-1 win over Ajax in the UEFA Champions League. On the domestic front, Chelsea [DLLWW] are on the verge of three PL victories in a row following last weekend’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. Fortunately, Chelsea’s record against the Black Cats has overwhelmingly been dominant in recent years. They have won their last three home league meetings against Sunderland by an aggregate score of 11–3, including a commanding 5–1 victory on the final day of the 2016–17 campaign. Historically, the fixture has rarely been close at Stamford Bridge – none of the 16 Premier League encounters between the sides in west London have ended in a draw. Chelsea have claimed 13 of those victories, while Sunderland have managed just three. It remains the second-most played Premier League fixture without a single draw, behind only Fulham vs Newcastle (17 matches). At home, Chelsea’s form in this calendar year has been encouraging. Only Manchester City (34) has collected more home points in the league this calendar year than Chelsea’s 33 (W10 D3 L1). Their only home defeat in 2025 came last month against Brighton, a rare lapse in an otherwise impressive run. Enzo Maresca would like to see that run continue when he deploys the familiar 4—2—3—1 formation with Joao Pedro in attack.

Sunderland once held the upper hand in the early Premier League years, winning four of their first six games against Chelsea between 1996 and 2001. However, since then, the tide has turned completely – the Black Cats have won just three of the subsequent 26 league meetings, drawing twice and losing 21 times. Nevertheless, confidence will be sky high for the Black Cats, who are in 7th place with just as many points as Chelsea [14]. That many points from their opening eight Premier League fixtures leaves them with their best return at this stage since the 1999–2000 campaign, when they also had 14 points and went on to win their ninth match. Régis Le Bris will be eager to see his side equal that twenty-five-year-old record. Wilson Isidor will be saddled with the task of leading the attack once again, having done so at the end of Sunderland’s 4—2—3—1 formation in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Wolves.