Le Fee's penalty gives Sunderland a 1-0 win over Chelsea and lifts them off the bottom

Le Fee's penalty settles it

Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on 8 November 2026, and the win lifted them off the bottom of the Premier League table. The only goal came in the 36th minute, when Enzo Le Fee converted a penalty after Levi Colwill brought down Brian Brobbey inside the box. Le Fee sent goalkeeper Mike Penders the wrong way from the spot. SAPO's match report puts Sunderland one point from safety, while Chelsea, who had been in the top four, lost ground in the table.

A patched-up defence holds

Sunderland arrived at the match after a home defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, 5 November, and Régis Le Bris had to field a heavily changed side. Only captain Granit Xhaka, Thomas Meunier and Robin Roefs kept their places from the Europa League game, while Dan Ballard was injured and Omar Alderete was banned. Xhaka went off injured after less than three minutes and was replaced by Jules Ahoka. Sunderland pressed from the start, with a blocked shot from Trai Hume and a clear chance for Brian Brobbey in the opening quarter-hour. Robin Roefs was rarely tested, and the BBC's player ratings gave him a 7.

Palmer's appeal and the VAR check

Cole Palmer went down in the 24th minute after contact from Luke O'Nien, but referee Jarred Gillett waved play on. VAR official Nick Hopton ruled that the contact took place outside the area, and the Premier League Match Centre confirmed that "any contact with Palmer occurs outside the penalty area." Chris Sutton, speaking on Sky Sports co-commentary, saw the challenge differently.

“I'm not so sure there's a touch on the ball from the challenging Sunderland defenders.”

The penalty decision

Brobbey turned Colwill inside the box and tumbled to the ground in the 36th minute, and the Chelsea players appealed immediately. Gillett pointed to the spot, although the Independent noted that it was unclear whether Colwill had also clipped Brobbey's heels. Former Premier League referee Darren Cann told the BBC that the decision was correct.

“Gillett was in the perfect position to see the infringement and award the penalty.”

Colwill was brought off at half-time, and Chelsea's attack struggled to create high-quality chances after the goal.

What comes next

Chelsea had gone into the match hoping to build on their 2-0 win over Manchester United and secure a place in the top four before the November international break. Sunderland now face a challenging run of four fixtures before the Tyne-Wear derby next month, according to the Guardian.