An ‘unbelievable’ start – how Sunderland are defying expectations

After defeating Luton Town to top the Championship standings, Sunderland were hoping to win promotion to the Premier League this year.

In a year, the Black Cats have just defeated Chelsea, the club’s champions, to move within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

It would be unfair to refer to Sunderland’s beginning as merely a dream.

They have defied critics who had accused them of signing too many players by deflecting the recent trend of newly promoted sides struggling in the Premier League with 17 points from nine games.

To put Sunderland’s start in context, it’s important to remember that the Black Cats defied all odds to once again conquer the top flight.

Regis le Bris’ side managed just 58 goals in their 46 games, finishing 24 points clear of Burnley and Leeds in the automatic promotion standings.

They were unaffected heading into the play-off semi-finals against Sheffield United, who finished 14 points clear of the Black Cats, and needed an injury-time winner to beat Coventry.

However, Sunderland showed their resilience again, coming out of the blocks in the final and bringing in Tom Watson for the first time in eight years to claim top flight status.

It increases the scope of this season’s debut season.

The Black Cats’ best Premier League start has been 17 points, which is equal to Sunderland’s best start since 1999-2000, with that score coming from their nine matches.

Only five newly promoted teams have managed to score more points than Sunderland has this season in their first nine games.

In 2000, Sunderland and all five of those teams were able to survive relegation.

After the win at Chelsea, Michael Carrick told BBC Radio 5 Live, “Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well.”

They will want to build on the points they have already accumulated, according to the statement.

They appeared to be quite content and composed for a while, but they also appeared dangerous. They simply maintained that belief to win.

Beyond their points total, Sunderland’s start is perhaps its most surprising achievement because they have managed to incorporate so many new signings following promotion.

A record amount of money was spent on 15 new players by the club, which was a promoted side, for £161 million.

Leicester, Southampton, and Ipswich were the three promoted teams that spent a combined £267 million in the previous season, but they also had the lowest total points conceded by relegated teams in Premier League history.

Spending a lot is essentially a guarantee of survival.

The Black Cats’ challenge of making too many changes to a squad that has earned promotion makes Sunderland’s start even more of an outlier.

Former Watford captain Troy Deeney called it “an unbelievable start that was well earned.”

“Sunderland were ruthless, but the majority of teams always stick with the players who won.”

They changed the goalkeeper and almost everyone else, and they said, “We will try and stay up,” and being second in this regard, they will think, “Do you reckon we can get in the top 10?” ‘.

Signing so many players might have stifled the spirit of the changing room, leaving those who helped the club regain its position in the top flight resent those who have come in and replaced them.

However, so far, it has been the opposite based on this evidence.

After the Stamford Bridge victory, Le Bris remarked, “We built our identity both before and during the pre-season.”

“The bond, the capacity to suffer and defend together.” Although we had a little trouble finding the right balance in possession, we were good with the ball, found spaces, and tried to press high when possible before blocking deep because they could punish you in the middle.

Because the substitutes were crucial once more, I’m really proud of the team, the staff, the starters, and the finishers. We put in a lot of effort and enjoyed the game.

The off-the-ball work of the Black Cats serves as an illustration of the suffering Le Bris discusses.

Only Crystal Palace, Everton, and West Ham have a lower average, with 42.5% possession in their nine matches this season.

Only Arsenal and Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Sunderland, despite wasting so much time without the ball.

That indicates that Le Bris has a team that is prepared and committed without the ball, with supporting evidence.

Granit Xhaka has had the most impact among Sunderland’s summer recruits.

When the former Arsenal captain made the decision to leave Bayer Leverkusen for the north east in the summer, he raised eyebrows.

After leaving for Germany in 2023, it was even questioned whether the 33-year-old could still make a name for himself in the Premier League.

But he has spectacularly perplexed the critics.