Chelsea make the long trip up to the north-east on Sunday afternoon to take on Sunderland in their final match of the 2025/26 campaign
07:00, 23 May 2026
Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro
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Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro celebrate(Image: Visionhaus)
It has been a thoroughly underwhelming season for Chelsea overall but it will finally reach its conclusion on Sunday evening.
The Blues have just one more game, away at Sunderland in the Premier League. There is still plenty to play for, with a win potentially enough for Chelsea to qualify for the Europa League. However, they would need certain results to go their way if that is the case.
Calum McFarlane will take his final match as interim head coach, with Xabi Alonso becoming the permanent manager in July. And for McFarlane, there are some really tough decisions to make - in relation to the line-up he fields - at the Stadium of Light.
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With that being said, our team of Chelsea writers have discussed and debated the XI they would go for if they were in the interim head coach's shoes on Sunday.
Bobby Vincent
Goalkeeper picks itself. Robert Sanchez is likely to conclude the season the way he started it - as Chelsea's No.1. In front of him, McFarlane could return to a back-three shape.
If that is the case, expect Levi Colwill to return at the heart of the defence after he was rested for the win over Tottenham a few days ago. Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato either side of him, with Malo Gusto (if he has recovered from his knock) and Marc Cucurella the wing-backs/wide midfielders in the system.
Moises Caicedo to be partnered with the returning Reece James. Cole Palmer, fresh from being snubbed by Thomas Tuchel, as the right-sided No.10 and Enzo Fernandez on the other side. Joao Pedro to return as the sole Chelsea No.9 in the north-east.
Bobby's XI : Sanchez; Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Gusto, James, Caicedo, Cucurella; Palmer, Fernandez; Joao Pedro
Jake Stokes
This weekend, Chelsea could finish the Premier League season as high as seventh or as low as 13th. So, in order to salvage what has been a miserable campaign, McFarlane needs to field a starting line-up that's capable of taking the game by the scruff of the neck and leaving the Stadium of Light with three points.
It goes without saying that Sanchez should start between the sticks. The goalkeeper has been heavily scrutinised for a while now, but he did alright in the FA Cup final, despite defeat, so he'll be hoping to end the season on a high and catch Alonso's eye.
James and Colwill should return to the backline. In the middle of the park, McFarlane should keep Caicedo and Andrey Santos in the pivot, with Fernandez playing in a slightly more advanced role.
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Up top, it would be good to see Joao Pedro lead the frontline, with Palmer on the right and Pedro Neto on the left. Liam Delap offered little to no quality during the win over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, so Shim Mheuka should be the Blues' first port of call if they desperately need a goal.
Jake's XI : Sanchez; James, Colwill, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro