Credit : Premier League's X
SUNDERLAND, November 8, 2026 — Enzo Le Fee’s first-half penalty gave Sunderland a 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, their first Premier League victory since August and one that lifted them off the bottom of the table.
The decisive moment came in the 36th minute. Striker Brian Brobbey spun past Levi Colwill and went down under the defender’s challenge, and Le Fee sent goalkeeper Mike Penders the wrong way from the spot.
Sunderland had to cope without captain Granit Xhaka, who was forced off injured inside the first four minutes. Brobbey caused Chelsea problems throughout the first half and had two earlier chances before winning the penalty.
Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty of their own midway through the first half, when Cole Palmer went down under a challenge from Luke O’Nien. The incident was judged to have taken place outside the box, and Chelsea’s own match report said it was a very tight call. Morgan Rogers then headed Marco Palestra’s cross off target.
Before kick-off, the stadium observed a period of silence for Remembrance Sunday. Jordan Henderson started for Chelsea against the club where he came through, playing in midfield alongside Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, while Penders kept his place in goal with Emiliano Martinez not yet ready to start after jaw surgery.
Xabi Alonso replaced Colwill with Estevao at half-time, but Chelsea struggled to create clear chances. Penders made a fine save to deny substitute Wilson Isidor, and Danny Welbeck headed over in stoppage time with Chelsea’s best chance to equalise. Substitute Geovany Quenda also forced Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs to scramble across his goal with a deflected left-footed strike from his first involvement.
“The first goal is always important and today being behind, we didn’t produce enough,” Alonso told Sky Sports. Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris praised the crowd, saying: “Today, the connection was perfect.”
Alonso admitted Chelsea had been poor in defending the penalty situation. “It’s something we could avoid and something we have worked on during the week. To give a penalty from that action, it’s not good from us,” he said. Le Bris singled out Brobbey, saying the striker “showed this afternoon that he can fight until the end”.
According to Chelsea’s official website, it was the first time this season that Sunderland had led at half-time. Chelsea drop to fifth and go into the international break outside the top four, before hosting Leeds United on November 21.
Source: Premier League on X; match reports by Sky Sports and Chelsea FC, November 8, 2026.
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