"Last autumn, Sunderland were riding high in the Championship's automatic promotion places against all expectations. After a play-off semi-final defeat, Sunderland had fallen away badly the previous campaign and finished 16th; yet there they were, with Christmas approaching, sitting second in the table and just two points behind league leaders Sheffield United in spite of all the underlying statistics suggesting they were in a false position and it couldn't last. And, indeed, it didn't."
"But a late turnaround in the play-off final nonetheless saw Sunderland promoted to the Premier League. After two straight years of the newly-elevated sides going straight back down, you would have been forgiven for expecting that Sunderland would struggle. Yet there they sit, up in seventh place, just a point behind reigning champions Liverpool, and nine clear of the relegation zone."
Last autumn Sunderland sat second in the Championship despite underlying statistics suggesting their position was unsustainable. The team finished fourth, 24 points behind the top two and ended the season on 76 points, closer to tenth-placed Middlesbrough than to leaders. A late play-off final turnaround secured promotion to the Premier League. After two newly promoted sides were immediately relegated in previous seasons, Sunderland now sit seventh in the Premier League, one point behind Liverpool and nine clear of the relegation zone. Sunderland have benefited from a favorable early fixture list facing inconsistent opponents such as West Ham, Brentford, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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