Sunderland climbed to second place in the Premier League after Chemsdine Talbi’s stoppage-time strike secured a stunning 2-1 victory over Chelsea, while Newcastle also left it late to edge Fulham 2-1 on Saturday.
Returning to the Premier League after an eight-year absence, the Black Cats appear determined to defy the odds and avoid the fate that often befalls newly promoted clubs.
Chelsea looked poised to claim second place when Alejandro Garnacho fired home his first goal for the club just four minutes into the match. However, with Brazilian prodigy Estevao surprisingly starting on the bench and Cole Palmer sidelined by injury, the Blues struggled to find creativity in attack.
Sunderland equalised in the 22nd minute when Wilson Isidor capitalised on defensive confusion, bundling the ball over the line after Chelsea failed to deal with a long throw-in. Despite the introduction of Estevao on the hour mark, the hosts failed to regain control, with Sunderland’s disciplined defending frustrating their efforts.
The visitors delivered the decisive blow deep into stoppage time, as Brian Brobbey set up Talbi to curl a brilliant finish into the bottom corner, silencing Stamford Bridge. The result dropped Chelsea to seventh, casting serious doubt over their title ambitions.
At St. James’ Park, Newcastle earned a crucial Premier League victory thanks to captain Bruno Guimaraes’ 90th-minute goal. Jacob Murphy opened the scoring in the first half after capitalising on a defensive blunder by Calvin Bassey.
Fulham equalised through Sasa Lukic’s header shortly before the hour mark, but their hopes of a comeback were dashed late on. Guimaraes pounced on a rebound after Bernd Leno saved William Osula’s initial attempt, sealing just Newcastle’s third league win of the season.
Eddie Howe’s side now sit 11th in the table, just three points adrift of the top four, while Marco Silva’s Fulham slumped to a fourth straight defeat, leaving them perilously close to the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will aim to continue their resurgence later on Saturday as they host Brighton. The Red Devils, buoyed by last weekend’s shock win over Liverpool, are seeking to make it three consecutive league victories under Ruben Amorim, who is marking one year in charge.
However, United face a daunting challenge—Brighton have triumphed on their last three visits to Old Trafford and have won six of their previous seven league encounters against the Manchester side.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are desperate to snap a three-match losing streak in the league when they face Brentford in the late fixture. Arne Slot’s men rediscovered their scoring touch with a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday but remain four points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Crystal Palace on Sunday.
What you should know
Sunderland’s dramatic victory over Chelsea marks a major statement in their Premier League return, propelling them to second in the table.
Newcastle’s last-gasp win also reignites their European hopes, while pressure mounts on Chelsea and Fulham amid disappointing results.
