North East | Sunderland qualify for Europa League

Sunderland 2 - 1 Chelsea

Sunderland finished their season back in the Premier League in remarkable fashion by qualifying for the Europa League.

Author | Ryan Gates

Stadium | Stadium of Light

A first-time volley from defender Trai Hume gave Sunderland the lead at the Stadium of Light, the strike catching goalkeeper Robert Sanchez by surprise midway through the opening half.

Chelsea defender Malo Gusto then diverted Brian Brobbey's miscued effort into his own net after the interval. Cole Palmer reduced the deficit with a fine long-range strike, but Sunderland held firm to secure the victory.

The hosts were deserved winners after controlling large spells of the contest, despite Chelsea creating first-half openings through Palmer and Joao Pedro. Sunderland could also have extended their advantage, with Brobbey and substitute Habib Diarra both spurning clear chances.

Match report from the Chelsea perspective on London Super News

ICYMI | From London Super News. Sunderland 2 - 1 Chelsea This defeat was a fitting finale to Chelsea's campaign. Everything that has gone wrong with Chelsea’s season was packed into another awful 90 minutes. londonsupernews.blogspot.com/2026/05/foot...

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— Super News Affiliate (@supernews1.bsky.social) 26 May 2026 at 13:01

The result lifted Sunderland above Chelsea, as well as Brighton and Brentford, who both failed to win on Sunday, sealing qualification for Europe's second-tier competition.

A remarkable journey

It is only four years since Sunderland were in League One, with Luke O'Nien and Trai Hume having been part of the journey throughout and combining here for the opening goal.

This is also a side that was intelligently strengthened during a £163m recruitment drive last summer.

Having only secured promotion through the Championship play-offs, it was little surprise that many tipped Sunderland to struggle.

In each of the previous two seasons, all three promoted clubs had gone straight back down to the Championship, so it would have been understandable had Sunderland simply targeted survival and a 17th-place finish.

Instead, despite downplaying talk of European qualification, head coach Regis le Bris, backed by owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and the club's ambitious recruitment model, has guided the club into uncharted territory.

Led by the performances of captain Granit Xhaka and eye-catching signings such as Brian Brobbey, Lutsharel Geertruida and Robin Roefs, Sunderland have continued to surpass expectations.

They are the first newly promoted side since Wolves in 2020, and only the fifth in the Premier League era, to qualify for Europe in the season after promotion.

The achievement sparked jubilant scenes among supporters after a tense victory over one of England's wealthiest and most established clubs.

For Sunderland fans, it is a remarkable moment, with European nights now back on the horizon for the first time in a generation.