Sunderland down sorry Chelsea 1-0 in Premier League: Key stats
What's the story
Sunderland secured a much-needed 1-0 victory over Chelsea in Matchweek 10 of the Premier League 2026-27 season on Sunday at home. The win, which came through a penalty converted by Enzo Le Fee, has lifted Sunderland off the bottom of the table and eased some pressure off manager Regis Le Bris. Despite their recent struggles, Sunderland showed resilience against a lackluster Chelsea side.
Match dynamics
Brobbey's efforts pay off for Sunderland
Chelsea's midfield struggled to win duels or tackles in the opening 20 minutes, giving Sunderland an edge.
The Black Cats's attacking threat was evident through Brian Brobbey, who almost scored twice in the first half.
His relentless efforts paid off when he won a penalty after outmuscling Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, which Le Fee successfully converted 10 minutes before half-time.
Match challenges
Chelsea fail to break down Sunderland defense
Chelsea struggled to break down a Sunderland defense that had been leaking goals recently.
Their closest chance in the first half was an off-target header from Morgan Rogers.
A penalty shout for Chelsea came when Cole Palmer was brought down by two Sunderland players just outside the box, but VAR controversially ruled no foul had been committed.
Game highlights
More than just a goal for Sunderland
Despite losing captain Granit Xhaka to injury in the opening minutes, Sunderland proved their mettle throughout the match.
They looked more likely to score a second goal than Chelsea was to equalize.
Substitute Wilson Isidor nearly doubled Sunderland's lead but was denied by a brilliant save from Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders.
The win marked a significant turnaround for Sunderland as they climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table.
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A look at the standings
With this narrow 1-0 win, Sunderland are now 18th with 8 points from 10 matches. It was their 2nd win of the season (D2 L6). Meanwhile, Chelsea are 5th with 16 points. Xabi Alonso's men suffered their 4th defeat of the season (W5 D1).
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Here are the match stats
From 9 attempts, Sunderland managed 2 shots on target. Chelsea had 4 shots on target from 10 attempts. In terms of touches in the opposition box, Chelsea (21) edged past the Black Cats (14). Chelsea had 68.7% ball possession and completed 578 passes.
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Unwanted record for Chelsea
As per Squawka, Chelsea had just three touches in the opposition box in the opening 45 minutes against Sunderland. The last time they had fewer in the first half of a Premier League game was against Manchester City in January 2022.