Tuesday’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur ended Chelsea's seven-match wait for a Premier League victory as they edged closer to a Europa League finish depending on results elsewhere.
It has been a massively disappointing campaign for the West London side, but they could end the season on a high this Sunday with a win over the Black Cats.
McFarlane ready to step aside for Alonso
McFarlane, who is set to step aside for Xabi Alonso after the game, spoke on his experience as interim manager and the fine performance against Tottenham last week.
“Great learning and experience. It's a massive challenge. Really thankful to the club for the opportunity and really thankful for the players.
“We knew it would be a challenge physically and mentally. We pushed as hard as we could. We were good value for the 1-0 lead. We got the second goal and didn't have much more push. That's not how we want the game to look but two or three days after the final, you could see the effects from that game.”
"Stamford Bridge was brilliant - it's probably the best atmosphere I've seen since being in the first team. It comes from us when we start games right. We didn't do that in the Forest game. It helps so much for us."
How is Palmer feeling?
As all eyes turn to the Sunderland game, many will be wondering how Cole Palmer will react after being left out of England's World Cup squad. McFarlane was keen not to dwell on such questions but revealed that the team were in high spirits in training which is a positive sign.
"I don't want to comment on that - it's not got anything to do with me. The England manager has made a decision so it's best to speak to him. We have full belief in Cole and we will be relying on him on Sunday.
"I think in life and in football, you need to take every setback as a positive. There's going to be lots of them - moments like this. And if you have the right mindset, you can turn it into a positive.
"In terms of Cole and the England announcement, that was made at 10am - we haven't had time to speak or get a feel for the group. Training was really good. I'm sure we'll have those conversations in the coming days and see how they are."