Trai Hume opened the scoring with a volley on 25 minutes — his first Premier League goal of the season — before a Malo Gusto own goal four minutes after half-time doubled the advantage. Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer reduced the deficit shortly afterwards, but the visitors' hopes of a comeback ended when Wesley Fofana was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Wilson Isidor just after the hour mark.
The result alone would not have been sufficient. Brighton & Hove Albion needed to drop points and Brentford needed to fail to beat Liverpool at Anfield. Both happened. Brighton lost to Manchester United at the Amex Stadium and Brentford drew 1-1 at Anfield, sending Sunderland into Europe on goal difference.
Sunderland finished on 54 points — the most accrued by a newly promoted side since Leeds United in 2020-21 — and their seventh-place finish is the best by a promoted team since Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018-19. Just four years ago the club were playing in League One, the third tier.
Manager Régis Le Bris was measured but clearly emotional in his assessment after the final whistle.
"It feels incredible and it shows that we kept our high standards until the end. The last three or four games showed that we are still ambitious. We were well prepared for today. The sessions this week were good, so we were ready to play. We knew we were facing a strong opponent, so we had to look after the ball well, create big chances and score goals. It was a bit tense, but the players did well with great consistency and discipline."
He drew the connection between Sunday's result and the same date twelve months earlier, when Sunderland secured promotion from the Championship at Wembley.
"It is the 24th of May — the perfect day when you think about last season with our late promotion, and now we are in the Europa League. It shows the consistency of the club, the togetherness, the alignment. When you have this, you can achieve something exceptional."
Captain Granit Xhaka, speaking to Sky Sports, was visibly overwhelmed.
"I have no words. It's unbelievable. Week by week, day by day, the hard work from everyone at the club. I'm so thankful."
For Chelsea, who started the day in eighth place and in contention for European football themselves, the defeat was the culmination of a calamitous end to the season. They have lost more Premier League games than any other club since the start of March. They will begin the Xabi Alonso era without European football.