ENGLISH PREMIER BETTING PREVIEW - SUNDERLAND VS CHELSEA

English Premier

2026-11-08 - Sunderland vs Chelsea

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Sunderland v Chelsea
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 8th November 2026 - Kick Off 2pm
This game is live on TV

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Sunderland

Despite the loss in the Europa League, Sunderland are expected to have enough to make it through to the Knock Out Rounds of the competition at the end of the long League Phase. However, the 0-2 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb means the pressure has intensified on manager Regis Le Bris and you would worry about his future at the club if Sunderland are not able to earn a positive Premier League result this weekend.

Most expected the second season in the Premier League to be more difficult for Sunderland, especially having added Europa League Football to the schedule, but not many would have predicted them going into the November international break bottom of the table. That is going to be the reality if Sunderland are not able to win on Sunday as they prop up the rest of the Division with just 5 points on the board.

Sunderland have won 1 of the last 6 games in all competitions and have followed that success in the League Cup Fourth Round by losing to Coventry City and Dinamo Zagreb. The Black Cats have not won any of the last 7 Premier League games played, while the loss on Thursday means Sunderland have won 1 of the last 4 at the Stadium of Light in all competitions and been beaten twice.

Omar Alderete is suspended, and Nordi Mukiele and Juan Riquelme Angulo are doubts. The manager made changes to the starting lineup on Thursday with one eye on this Premier League fixture.

Chelsea

Missing out on European Football has given Xabi Alonso a full week on the training ground while almost half of the Premier League clubs were playing in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. This should favour Chelsea over the course of the season and the squad will be looking to back up the 2-0 win over Manchester United by securing three more Premier League points before the November international break.

The Blues were able to move up into 4th place in the Premier League table after results last weekend and the most immediate target for the club has to be a return to the Champions League. They make the long trip to Wearside with a 2-0-2 away record and Chelsea have scored 6 goals and conceded 7 in those matches.

Chelsea were beaten in the League Cup Fourth Round on Penalties at the end of October, but they have won 3 of the last 4 Premier League games played to move up the League standings. The side had lost consecutive away League games at Arsenal and Brentford, but Chelsea's last Premier League game on their travels ended in a 0-2 win at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Emi Martinez and Jorrel Hato are both doubts, while Chelsea are expected to be without Maxence Lacroix, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.

Head to Head

Sunderland won both Premier League games against Chelsea by the same 2-1 scoreline last season, including beating them here on the final day to secure European Football at the expense of the visiting team.

Sunderland have only lost 1 of the last 5 when hosting Chelsea in all competitions.

Prediction

Regis Le Bris signed on as manager of Sunderland in June 2024 and the positive trajectory under his guidance will have given the Frenchman a huge amount of respect across Wearside.

Football is much more fickle these days, or so it seems, and there will be a disappointment that Sunderland were booed off the field in the Europa League defeat on Thursday.

Fans have a right to be frustrated with Sunderland bottom of the table and struggling for positive form across the board, but you would have hoped there would be more patience for a manager who guided them up from the Championship in 2025 and then helped the club earn a spot in Europe just a few months ago.

He will be aware that he needs a positive result, but Le Bris cannot think of what may happen if he does not oversee one.

The Stadium of Light will need to get behind Sunderland, whose players are lacking a bit of confidence, but there have been signs that they can turn things around. It will need a bit of composure in the final third and Sunderland are going to be hosting a game in which the visiting team are odds on favourites.

Chelsea's recent results have been strong, but the performances have not been the most convincing and that has to give Sunderland real belief.

There are threats in the Chelsea team when they get forward, but you would not consider them all that impressive at the back, even after earning clean sheets against Everton and Manchester United over the last month. Chances have been created by those two clubs and Sunderland will be able to move into the final third and look to create problems in this one too.

Ultimately it is hard to back Sunderland to avoid a defeat because you simply do not know how the players are feeling with the manager under intense pressure.

However, The Black Cats have shown they are still capable of getting forward and creating chances and there is every chance they can become the latest side to have at least four shots on target against this Xabi Alonso Chelsea defence.

The Pick :

Sunderland 1-1 Chelsea

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Sunderland Over 3.5 Shots on Target at 1.80 with Bet365